Hong Kong schools to operate normally for part of day as heavy rain subsides

HONG KONG – Hong Kong cancelled storm warnings and announced that it would allow some schools to operate normally after midday, as the financial hub recovered from a fresh bout of torrential downpours.

The local observatory issued a red storm warning – the second-highest alert, indicating rainfall of more than 50mm in an hour – early on Thursday, after the city was battered by rain overnight. The warning was later lowered to amber, and was cancelled by noon.

Whole-day schooling remains suspended, while classes that are held after midday will be allowed to go ahead, according to a government statement.

Some parts of the city, including densely populated parts of eastern Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, saw more than 150mm of rain after midnight, according to the observatory.

The government had received three reports of flooding as at 9am, according to a post on the Drainage Services Department’s Facebook page. It added that the flooding had eased.  

In the past two weeks, Hong Kong has been battered by Super Typhoon Saola, the strongest storm to hit the city in five years, and record-breaking rain from the remnants of

Typhoon Haikui, which flooded streets and triggered landslides.

The topography of Hong Kong – which features roads and buildings built into steep hillsides – makes the city vulnerable to flooding and landslides from torrential summer rains that have steadily intensified over time because of climate change. 

The current bad weather is caused by a trough – or elongated area – of low pressure, according to the observatory, which forecast more rain on Friday and Saturday.

The sole road leading to Shek O and Big Wave Bay, areas on Hong Kong Island that are popular among billionaires and expats, was closed again on Thursday after being affected by landslides and subsidence.  

The government, which faced criticism from the public over a lack of warning about the intensity of last week’s rain, has been working to repair roads and clean up the damage.

The city has received 919mm of rain in September as at Tuesday, almost three times the historical mean. According to observatory data, which goes back to 1991, Hong Kong receives an average of 321mm of rain during the whole month of September.

Other than school closures, the city operates normally under a red storm warning.

Under the highest alert – a black storm warning – workers are not supposed to travel to and from work, and the stock market closes temporarily. 

China’s National Meteorological Centre issued its lowest rain alert and warned of heavy rain in central Jiangxi province and north-western Guangxi region. BLOOMBERG