1 / 7In Hong Kong, authorities reported two fatalities and the evacuation of hundreds of residents due to the deluge. A joint news conference held by Hong Kong officials on Friday (September 8) revealed that the extreme weather was anticipated to persist until midnight, resulting in extensive flooding and substantial disruptions to public transport across multiple districts. (Image: Reuters)
2 / 7According to an official from the Hong Kong Observatory, the city had already recorded more than 600mm of rainfall, equivalent to a quarter of its typical annual precipitation. The observatory's data showed a record-breaking 158.1 millimeters (6.2 inches) of rainfall within the single hour spanning from 11 pm Thursday to midnight, the highest hourly recorded rainfall since records began in 1884.
3 / 7Criticism emerged online from Hong Kong residents regarding the government's readiness to address such emergencies. Various government departments in Hong Kong had been working tirelessly overnight to manage the situation. Social media videos depicted inundated streets in Hong Kong and neighboring Guangdong province, where vehicles navigated through floodwaters, and rescue teams employed rafts to move about.
4 / 7The subway system in Hong Kong experienced flooding, with water cascading down stairs and escalators, while cars found themselves trapped in muddy waters on the flooded streets, including within the cross-harbor tunnel connecting Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.
5 / 7Due to the heavy downpours, both Hong Kong and the mainland city of Shenzhen decided to close schools, and nonessential workers in Hong Kong were advised to stay home, resulting in the suspension of most bus services. Furthermore, the Hong Kong stock exchange remained closed for the day.
6 / 7On the mainland, Meizhou, a city in Guangdong province, saw over 11,000 people evacuated from waterlogged areas, and trains and flights were suspended in Guangdong due to several landslides blocking roads. Shenzhen recorded an astonishing 469 millimeters (18.4 inches) of rainfall, the heaviest in the city's meteorological records dating back to 1952, as reported by CCTV.
7 / 7This bout of rainfall was attributed by the city observatory to a low-pressure trough associated with the remnants of a recent typhoon, underscoring the unpredictability and severity of the weather event that had gripped Hong Kong and southern China.
