The Hong Kong Observatory has just issued a red rainstorm signal. This suggests a heavy rain pounding the metro, with more than 70mm of rain falling over the Central and Western District.
According to the South China Morning Post, the department issued the signal at 11:05 pm on Sunday. With it comes heavy rain that exceeds 50mm in an hour. It is expected to fall over the city and is likely to continue throughout the week.
"Heavy rain will bring flash floods, and flooding is occurring or is expected to occur in watercourses. People should stay away from watercourses," the official website of the Observatory said.
The department also warned residents living close to rivers and that they should "stay alert" to weather conditions. The warning issued added that they must consider evacuation as soon as their homes become flooded.
A thunderstorm warning was also issued at around 8:18 pm and is set to remain until 11.45pm. Flashes of lightning were seen in the night sky over Hong Kong Island, including from Causeway Bay.
Showers and a couple of thunderstorms were also predicted by the weather forecaster, all of which are expected to occur for the rest of the night. More of these are anticipated to follow in the coming days. A broad area of low pressure is bringing showers and thunderstorms to the coast of Guangdong, the Observatory confirmed.
MSN reports that wet weather is expected after several days of poor air quality. Haze has already started blanketing the city on Saturday, with a number of monitoring stations recording the highest level of the pollution index in the late afternoon.
The Observatory reiterated that residents should stay vigilant, particularly when flood rises. If the latter happens, they are advised to evacuate to higher grounds. At the same time, they must prepare medical kits and basic needs.
