The heaviest rainfall in almost 140 years has caused severe flooding in Hong Kong. At least two people died and more than 100 were injured. Public life almost came to a standstill due to the extreme weather.
At least two people have died due to flooding in Hong Kong. Police said they recovered two bodies. The government of the Chinese Special Administrative Region said that heavy rain had caused “extreme conditions” in the region.
It is still unclear how many residents suffered injuries as a result of the extreme weather conditions. The dpa news agency reported that more than 100 people were injured, and the AP news agency also said that more than 100 people had been treated in hospitals.
In Hong Kong, dozens of residents had to be brought to safety by fire department rescue workers, AP reported. According to the Chinese television station CCTV, there were more than 11,000 people in the city of Meizhou in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong
Highest rainfall amounts since 1884
Hong Kong recorded its highest hourly rainfall since records began nearly 140 years ago. At the observatory’s headquarters late Thursday, 158.1 millimeters of rain per square meter was measured in one hour. In total, more than 600 millimeters of rain fell. Hong Kong’s Prime Minister John Lee spoke on Facebook of a “rain of the century” and called on the population not to go outside if possible.
The weather service issued a “black warning” for further heavy rain. There is no improvement in the weather situation in sight for the time being. According to forecasts, the extreme weather conditions are expected to continue into the night.
According to CCTV, the city of Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong and is also in Guangdong, also had the most productive vines since records began there in 1952.
Because of the flooding, traffic in the city came to a standstill.
Closed schools, paralyzed traffic
The floods brought traffic in the metropolis to an almost complete standstill. The Hong Kong newspaper “South China Morning Post” reported streets that turned into raging rivers. Images of full underground car parks and flooded subway stations were shared on social networks. Schools remained closed. Companies were asked to give their employees time off. The weather service urged residents near rivers to “pay attention to weather conditions” and to “consider evacuation” if their homes are flooded.
Criticism due to lack of Safety precautions
There was criticism online that the Hong Kong government was unprepared for such an extreme weather event. Eric Chan, the second-highest official in the Hong Kong government, defended himself by saying that rain is not as easy to predict as a typhoon.
Typhoon “Saola” made landfall in southern China on Saturday. “Saola” was also awaited with great concern in Hong Kong. However, before it reached the metropolis, the “super typhoon” weakened and the damage was less than feared.