In the wake of bad weather brought by Typhoon Podul moving across the region towards eastern Guangdong, the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has issued the Black Rainstorm Warning Signal at 7.50am this morning. The rain is particularly severe in the Central and Western district, as well as on Lantau Island, with hourly rainfall exceeding 100mm in these regions when the threshold for a Black Rainstorm classification is 70mm per hour. HKO has also warned that with the heavy rain in the Southern District, there might be a risk of landslides.
As Typhoon Podul gradually departs from Hong Kong, its intense outer rainbands means heavy squally showers and severe squally thunderstorms for our region, with violent gusts of wind and swells. At the time of publication, the typhoon Standby Signal No. 1 is still in force, and the Drainage Services Department has already dispatched approximately 110 emergency response teams to tackle flooding across Hong Kong. The HKO will most likely downgrade the Black Rainstorm to a Red Rainstorm Warning Signal at 11am.
The Education Bureau has announced that all schools – whether morning, afternoon, or all-day – will be cancelled for Thursday, August 14. If the Black Rainstorm warning is lifted before 5pm, evening school classes will resume. The Hong Kong Judiciary has also suspended morning hearings, including the contentious trial of media mogul Jimmy Lai – if the Black Rainstorm has not been lifted by 11am, sessions will be cancelled for the day.
Looking ahead to the weekend, Podul will depart and weaken as it moves across inland Guangdong, and the skies will brighten up over Saturday and Sunday. Meanwhile, a trough of low pressure is expected to form over the South China Sea, and it is forecast to rain again next Monday and Tuesday, on August 18 and 19.
Keep an eye on weather updates on the HKO website.
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Hong Kong newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox
Recommended reading:
See South Asian treasures from one of the world’s richest empires
Japanese discount drugstore chain Daikoku has arrived in Hong Kong
Seventeen returns to Hong Kong in concert for the first time in seven years