The Hong Kong Observatory issued the first black rainstorm signal of the year on Monday morning, with schools and the stock exchange shut down as torrential rain, flooding and landslips hit various districts across the city.
The black rainstorm signal, the most severe warning, was issued at 8.20 am and lasted for about three hours, allowing the stock exchange to open in the afternoon. But schools were shut all day.
The weather service said at 10.35 am that rainfall in most areas of Hong Kong reached over 70 millimetres. Some areas such as Hong Kong Island West, the southern part of Lantau Island and Lamma Island, recorded over 200 millimetres.
Authorities received nine reports of flooding, while there were at least three landslides. A landslip near Upper Cheung Sha Beach on Lantau Island saw muddy water flooding into the beach area like a waterfall.
Lifeguards flushed the dirty water off a balcony overlooking the beach, as seen in photos supplied by the Hong Kong and Kowloon Lifeguards Union spokesman Nick Wu. Nearby roads were covered by bricks and rocks, while at least one tree fell into a public sitting-out area.
Numerous Lantau bus routes had to be suspended or to change their routes as traffic lanes around South Lantau Road were blocked. The roads reopened at around 3.30 pm.
Similar scenes occurred at Mount Davis Path on Hong Kong Island West, where a landslip caused muddy water to pour down in torrents.
Flooding also hit the Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Tunnel Road, causing the traffic lane leading to Tuen Mun to be shut briefly.
Kai Tak MTR station, which is one of the stops on the Tuen Ma Line that only began running on Sunday, was partially flooded. MTR staff covered ticket turnstiles with plastic covers to protect them as large puddles formed on the floor.
A spokesperson for the railway company told local media that the water leak was caused by a burst in a flush water pipe and was not linked to the downpour.
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