Medical services disrupted amid Hong Kong’s 1st amber rainstorm warning of year, reports of hail
- Hong Kong Observatory said videos circulating on social media were ‘likely’ to have shown hail
- Hospital in Tuen Mun forced to suspend its emergency room services for more than two hours because of downpour
Some medical services were disrupted on Saturday amid Hong Kong’s first amber rainstorm warning of the year and reports of hail, last recorded in 2021.
Hong Kong Observatory said videos circulating on social media were “likely” to have shown hail. The city’s weather forecaster issued four hail warnings between 12.30pm and 5.35pm, urging residents to seek shelter and avoid staying outdoors.
Affected by a band of intense thundery showers moving across the Pearl River estuary, the weather in Hong Kong worsened at around noon. Heavy rain and thunderstorms also triggered the first amber rainstorm warning this year.
Flooding hit some areas as heavy rain lashed the city. A public hospital in Tuen Mun was forced to suspend its emergency room services for more than two hours because of the downpour.
A Sai Wan Ho resident told the Post that he saw hail falling in the area at around 3pm, which lasted about two minutes.
“I’m used to having hail where I’m from in France, but I was surprised to see it here in Hong Kong,” said Maxime Poiret, adding that he was only able to show his children a brief glimpse of it before it ended.
“It was very intense, but quite short,” said Poiret, who lives in Grand Promenade.
