September 8th 2023.
Hong Kong has been hit by a record-breaking rainfall, leaving two people dead and more than 100 injured. Video footage reveals the chaotic scenes of water cascading down steep hillsides and flooding waist-deep in streets, malls, metro stations and tunnels. Roads have collapsed and landslides have occurred in many places, leaving locals in shock.
"I've never seen scenes like this before. Even during previous typhoons, it was never this severe. It's quite terrifying," said Hong Kong assistant nurse Connie Cheung, 65. This extreme weather, caused by typhoon Haikui, has also brought chaos to the nearby Chinese city of Shenzhen, a tech hub and home to more than 17.7 million people.
Hong Kong's weather bureau issued its highest 'black' rainstorm warning early today. It reported that 200mm of rain was recorded on Hong Kong's main island, the Kowloon district and the northeastern part of the city's New Territories late Thursday. The 'black' alert has now been lifted, but authorities warned of risks from ongoing flooding. John Lee, the city's leader, said all departments had been instructed to respond with 'all-out efforts'.
Meanwhile, Eric Chan, secretary for administration, said Hong Kong's transport network had been 'severely disrupted' and an 'extreme conditions situation' would be extended to midnight today. Some roads were partly washed out, and a car was swallowed up by a metres-wide pothole when one section of road collapsed. Schools have also been shut down, workers told to stay home and Hong Kong's stock exchange closed.
In Shenzhen, 465.5 mm of rain fell in a 12-hour period, the most since records there began in 1952. Videos from state media show residents holding onto safety lines and carefully walking through knee-deep water, while all schools, some subway stations and offices had to be shut.
The chaotic aftermath of this record-breaking rainfall has left Hong Kong and Shenzhen in shock. It is clear that the consequences of this extreme weather have been disastrous, and that the local authorities are doing their best to respond to the situation with 'all-out efforts'.
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