The city of Shenzhen, in southern China, and the Chinese administrative region of Hong Kong are suffering in recent hours from the heaviest rains recorded in the last 140 years, authorities said.
Since Thursday, Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong, has been hit by torrential rains, the heaviest since weather records began in 1952, according to state media.
Local rainfall reached 469 millimeters, a record for Shenzhen, according to the Xinhua news agency. The city has a population of 17.7 million and is home to many technology companies.
In Macau, meteorological services also warned of the possibility of flooding, especially in low-lying areas of the city. Until 9:00 a.m. (2:00 a.m. in Lisbon), the total daily rainfall recorded on the Macau peninsula exceeded 100 millimeters.
In Hong Kong there is also flooding and damage that has not yet been quantified.
“I am very concerned about the serious flooding in several areas,” Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee wrote this morning on his Facebook social network account, asking the population to remain in protected areas and reporting that several Government departments are taking measures to help affected areas.
The Hong Kong Government suspended all school activities during the day this Friday.
Residents near the Shenzhen, Ng Tung and Sheung Yu rivers were also put on high alert after a reservoir overflowed in neighboring Shenzhen.
The storm also forced the closure of the Heung Yuen Wai and Man Kam To border checkpoints, as well as local immigration services, all public medical centers and the post office.
Videos of people and vehicles trapped by flooding in the city streets, as well as of a flooded subway station, are circulating on social networks.
According to the local meteorological observatory, heavy rain particularly affected the northern part of the New Territories, including Sheung Shui, Ta Kwu Ling and the Sha Tau Kok area.
According to data from the observatory, under the influence of a low pressure trough associated with the remnants of Typhoon Haikui, showers and thunderstorms will occur off the coast of Guangdong in the coming days.
The floods come on top of two typhoons (Saola and Haikui) that hit southern mainland China, Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan, causing damage and injuries.
Source: TSF
