AceBreakingNews – Hong Kong has been flooded by its heaviest rainfall in nearly 140 years, killing two people and leaving the city’s streets and some subway stations under water.

Ace Press News From Cutting Room Floor: Published: Sept.08: 2023: ABC Wires News Report:

The Chinese special administrative area saw the highest hourly rainfall since records began in 1884.

Hong Kong Observatory reported rainfall of 158.1 millimetres between 11pm (Hong Kong time) on Thursday and midnight on Friday.

On Friday, authorities had to shut down schools and workers were asked to stay at home as heavy rain lashed down across the region.

“It’s absolutely shocking,” said Jacky, who lives in the Wong Tai Sin district with his elderly parents.

“I don’t remember floods ever being this bad in our district,” the 52-year-old added.

“The bottom floor of the mall is completely flooded, the water level is higher than the storefronts … it’s turned our day into chaos.”

The weather bureau issued the highest “black” rainstorm warning and said more than 200mm of rainfall was recorded on Hong Kong’s main island, Kowloon and the north-eastern part of the city’s New Territories since Thursday night.

The trough of low pressure associated with the remnant of Typhoon Haikui has brought torrential rain to the coast of Guangdong since Thursday, the weather bureau said.

At a press conference, Hong Kong Chief Secretary Eric Chan described the deluge as “a once-in-a-century heavy rainstorm”, adding that extreme conditions would continue until midnight local time.

The city’s response to the rain and floods drew criticism from residents online, who questioned the authorities’ preparedness for such an emergency.

Mr Chan said the predictability of rainfall “cannot be compared with that of a typhoon”, fending off questions about whether the government had done enough to prevent flooding. 

“It’s like putting four bathtubs of water into one bathtub … it will spill,” he said.

City leader John Lee said he was very concerned about the severe flooding in most parts of the territory and had instructed all departments to respond with “all-out efforts”.

Hong Kong police said two bodies were found floating in waters in different parts of the city. The city’s fire services department said it had evacuated 110 people and assisted 20 injured people.

On Friday afternoon, the Hospital Authority said at least 110 were hospitalised due to injuries, with four in serious condition.

Videos circulating on social media showed streets turning into raging rivers, with one clip showing water gushing down an escalator into Wong Tai Sin subway station and another showing a train not stopping due to floodwater on its platform.

The city’s cross harbour tunnel, which connects Hong Kong island to Kowloon, was also inundated with water, while photos showed a waterlogged shopping centre in the Chai Wan district.

Hong Kong’s MTR Corp which operates the city’s rail network said at least one line was shut while others were operating at delayed intervals.

An AFP reporter saw boulders and mud from a landslide block off a two-lane road in the Shau Kei Wan district.

All schools have been suspended due to “extreme conditions caused by extensive flooding and serious traffic disruption,” the government said.

The extreme weather brought the city to an effective standstill with offices and stores also forced to shut.

The flooding could cost Hong Kong at least $US100 million ($156.4 million), according to a Bloomberg Intelligence estimate, compared to $US470 million in damage when the city was hit by Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018.

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