Thunderstorms and heavy rain affect Hong Kong as weather turns unsettled

The Hong Kong Observatory warned that unstable weather conditions would continue to affect the city, bringing heavy showers and thunderstorms.

In a special weather advisory issued at 11.45am on Tuesday (May 19), the Observatory said another thunderstorm band south of Hong Kong was approaching the city and was expected to bring heavier showers around midday.

The forecaster said around 10 millimetres of rainfall had been recorded in many areas over the past two to three hours, while rainfall on Lantau Island exceeded 20 millimetres.

The Observatory said the easterly airstream affecting the Guangdong coast was gradually being replaced by southerly winds, contributing to unstable weather conditions in the region.

Hong Kong is expected to remain mainly cloudy on Tuesday, with occasional showers and isolated thunderstorms. Temperatures are forecast to reach about 28 degrees.

Moderate to fresh easterly to southeasterly winds are expected initially, with strong winds offshore and on high ground before gradually turning southerly later in the day.

The Observatory said unsettled weather would persist over the next one to two days due to an upper-air disturbance affecting southern China.

Showers are expected to ease gradually from Friday and over the weekend as an anticyclone strengthens over the northern part of the South China Sea, bringing brighter and persistently hot weather to the coast of southern China.

Temperatures are forecast to rise to around 30 degrees on Friday (May 22), followed by a spell of up to 32 degrees from Saturday (May 23) lasting about four consecutive days.