Hong Kong Faces Extreme Rainfall After 139 Years... The City Comes to a Halt

1-Hour 158mm Water Bomb Falls
Roads Flooded, Citizens and Vehicles Isolated

In Hong Kong, 158.1mm of heavy rain fell within an hour, flooding the downtown area. Roads were swept away by muddy water, and schools and public institutions were closed. The hourly rainfall from this downpour is reported to be the highest in 139 years.

According to Hong Kong media South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 8th (local time), Hong Kong was paralyzed by the heavy rain that fell from 11 p.m. the previous night until midnight. The amount of rain that poured down was 158.1mm, the highest hourly rainfall since 1884.

The cause of the sudden deluge was Typhoon Haikui, which made landfall in Fujian Province, China, on the 5th. Although Haikui itself has dissipated, the low pressure brought by the typhoon affected Hong Kong's weather, causing a massive amount of rain to fall in a short time.

Flooded downtown area of Hong Kong. [Image source=X (formerly Twitter)]

At least one person died and 110 were injured due to the heavy rain, with four reported to be in serious condition. As water levels suddenly rose throughout the city, flooding damage occurred in many places, and cars and pedestrians were stranded on the streets. Some roads were flooded up to waist level, hindering rescue operations.

Some Hong Kong residents shared photos of the city's damage on social networking services (SNS). Posts from netizens show muddy water overflowing across entire roads and water rising into commercial areas.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong authorities closed schools and other public institutions on the day and urged office workers to stay home. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange was also closed and suspended trading that day.

Regarding this, John Lee, Chief Executive of Hong Kong, stated on his official SNS account, "Government personnel, including the Drainage Services Department and the Highways Department, are mobilizing all resources to respond to the situation and provide support to affected areas," adding, "Citizens are urged to stay in safe places according to the situation and focus on the latest weather information and government announcements."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.