Obscured heavens have unleashed record rains on Hong Kong and the high-tech cities surrounding the pearl river delta in southern China, on Tuesday, disturbing the operation of hospitals and leading to the closure of schools and courts through the Asian financial center.
More than 350 mm (13.8 inches) of rain had hit Hong Kong at 2 p.m. (6:00 a.m. GMT), local meteorological authorities said – a daily record for the month of August since 1884.
Videos showed water torrents rushing down the steep hills of the old British colony, turning into real white rapids by hitting the innumerable stairs that connect the different levels of the city. This deluge pushed the weather service to extend its maximum rain alert until 5 p.m. the black signal.
The water reached the height of the ankles in front of the largest hospital in Hong Kong, while the health authorities announced the closure of several clinics through the city due to the bad weather.
Extreme rains and catastrophic floods, which meteorologists attribute climate change, represent an increasing challenge for those responsible for continental China, taking lives, moving thousands of people and threatening billions of dollars with economic losses.
These thunderstorms occur after sudden deadly floods that occurred this weekend in southern China, which killed five people in Guangdong province and launched a large research operation mobilizing more than 1,300 rescuers.
On Tuesday morning, four rivers in the province had reached a level such that they risked leaving their bed, CCTV state television reported.
China has been struck by abnormally abundant rains while the East Asian monsoon has stagnated over the north and south of the country, causing weeks of atmospheric chaos since early July. On Monday, a tornado struck the northern Mongolia-interior region, while the Beijing authorities were preparing for new floods on Tuesday.
Record rains
In the South, the black alert of Hong Kong was triggered for the fourth time in just eight days, breaking the record for the largest number of programs of the highest weather alert in the city in a year, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
Hong Kong, the province of Guangdong and Macao – which has issued a red alert for the rain – constitute the backbone of the flagship project of the great bay of Chinese President Xi Jinping, aimed at merging the financial power of Hong Kong with the industrial and technological force of Guangdong.
The region’s airports recorded a cancellation rate of approximately 20 % on Tuesday according to Flightmaster data, while speed on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao-iconic GBA infrastructure-has been reduced due to low visibility.
Hong Kong airport has maintained its normal operations, even if some flights were delayed, and travelers were invited to go to the airport until confirmation of their flight schedule.
The Hong Kong Stock Exchange remained open, having changed its policy last year to continue exchanges regardless of the weather conditions, but justice announced that courts, jurisdictions and registration offices would remain closed at least two hours after the black alert.
Hong Kong receives on average 2,200 mm of rain per year, more than half of which usually falls between June and August.
But everything is not dark: the Disneyland park of Hong Kong announced that it was open.