The Hong Kong Observatory issued the Black Rainstorm warning at 11.05pm on Thursday night. This announcement was followed by a government statement issued shortly after 11am on Friday revealing that all school sessions for the day will be cancelled.
The observatory forecasts cloudy weather conditions with “frequent heavy rain and squally thunderstorms”, but says the rain will ease off gradually later. In addition, there will be occasional showers and a few thunderstorms on Saturday.
Government authorities forecast that the Black Rainstorm warning would remain in force until 6pm on Friday at the earliest, and previously said that Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 (T8) conditions should be observed regarding office work.
While the MTR has not cancelled its train services, there are disruptions on sections of the Kwun Tong Line due to flooding in the area. The railway corporation has also cancelled its bus services. The Star Ferry has also cancelled trips on its Tsim Sha Tsui-Central and Tsim Sha Tsui-Wan Chai routes.
Last week, Hong Kong went into shutdown mode when Super Typhoon Saola hit the city, leading the SAR’s meteorological body to raise the Hurricane Signal, No. 10 for the first time in five years. Schools across the city closed, and most public transport stopped their operations while the signal was in place.
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