Heavy rains, fallen trees cause disruptions

Heavy downpours hit Hong Kong for the second day as the observatory issued the second amber rainstorm warning within 24 hours yesterday morning.

A waterspout was spotted off Clear Water Bay at around 9.30am.

A trough of low pressure is affecting the vicinity of the Pearl River Estuary, prompting intense thundery showers and causing more than 50 millimeters of rainfall over some places across the city last night, the observatory said.

The amber rainstorm warning was issued at 10am and canceled at 1.45pm. A similar warning was in effect for nearly three hours from 7.35pm to 10.30pm on Saturday, indicating an hourly rainfall exceeding 30mm.

While officials did not receive flooding reports, multiple cases of fallen trees disrupting traffic were recorded.

A tree on Barker Road in Mid-Levels fell onto the Peak Tram tracks, spanning an area of 10 meters by 20 meters, prompting service suspension.

No one was injured, the Peak Tram company said.

Rainy and cloudy weather is expected to continue until early next week, according to the weather forecast, with heavy showers at times today and tomorrow.

"The weather is expected to still be unsettled with occasional thundery showers over the coastal areas of southern China in the middle and latter parts of this week," it said.

Despite the weather, the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education economics exam will go ahead today.

Candidates are reminded to go to exam centers even under a red rainstorm warning, though the start time will be pushed back by 15 minutes. There is no change to the start time under an amber rainstorm warning.

If the black rainstorm warning is in effect two hours before the exam, it will be rescheduled, according to the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority.

Multiple high-speed rail trains from West Kowloon Station, including those headed for Guangzhou South and Beijing, experienced delays of 10 minutes to half an hour due to heavy rainfall in Guangdong province.

Guangdong officials urged departments in all municipalities to begin emergency planning to avert natural disasters and disburse disaster relief funds and materials to those affected.

The province has seen torrid downpours and strong winds, which have affected several parts of China.

A 12-hour stretch of heavy rain, starting at 8pm on Saturday, battered the central and northern parts of the province in Zhaoqing, Shaoguan, Qingyuan and Jiangmen.

Nearly 20,000 people have been evacuated from Qingyuan and power facilities in Zhaoqing were damaged, causing power outages in some areas.

eunice.lam@singtaonewscorp.com

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