Storm clouds over Clear Water Bay Photo: HKO
Yesterday evening (25/7), thunderstorms triggered by high temperatures affected Kowloon East and Sai Kung. The Hong Kong Observatory issued a Amber Rainstorm Warning Signal at 7:10pm, and a Red Rainstorm Warning Signal at 7:40 pm. In Sai Kung, rainfall reached a peak of 85 millimetres within an hour, from 6:45pm to 7:45pm; this is equivalent to Black Rainstorm Warning levels. During the bad weather, canoeists were trapped in Sai Kung and Tolo Harbour, and a hiker fell into a ravine in Ma On Shan.
Lightning at Pak Sha Wan Photo: Facebook
Police said that at around 7:30 pm, several canoeists in the area of Siu Chan Chau, Sai Kung and campers at Yeung Chau, Tolo Harbour reported that they were trapped due to strong winds and heavy rain. Rescuers arrived after receiving the report and confirmed that everyone was safe, and then helped them return to land. At 7:30 pm, police received a report that someone in Ma On Shan Country Park accidentally fell into a stream during the storm. Although he got to land by himself, he had no way to get back to the trail and also reported that his leg was injured. Rescuers sent him to the Prince of Wales Hospital in Shatin for treatment; at the same time, a father and son were trapped in a pavilion near the scene. After receiving the report, the police and fire department also rescued them.
Sai Kung recorded strong gusts of about 110 kph during the storm hour earlier. A local resident posted on social media that the sky was dark and cloudy before the storm, and then the rain and wind suddenly hit, with lightning. Outdoor dining tables of the seafood restaurants were blown around with staff having to hold them down to prevent the wind from blowing them away. Many roads were also flooded.
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