Hong Kong’s annual monsoon season generally stretches from May to September, but it seems like the rain has hit the city a little early. During the early afternoon of April 18, the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) hoisted the first Amber Rainstorm Warning Signal of this year. This alert means that heavy rain has fallen or is expected to fall, exceeding 30 millimetres in an hour, and is likely to continue.
With the rain pelting down and roiling clouds sweeping by since the morning, HKO has warned that violent gusts may affect the city and advises those who are outdoors to seek safe shelter immediately. If you were around for the Super Typhoon Saola of 2023, you’ll remember that heavy rain could bring about flash floods in Hong Kong, so this Amber Rain might cause flooding in low-lying and poorly drained areas.
Gusts measuring approximately 90 kilometres per hour were recorded in Cheung Chau just after 1pm. The thunderstorm warning has also been issued since the early morning, and will be in effect until 4pm. Citizens are to expect severe squally thunderstorms over Hong Kong today. We hope you wore sensible shoes and packed a brolly with you today!
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