Red rainstorm warning short-lived as Hong Kong Observatory downgrades back to amber level
- The first storm alert of the year to hit the ‘red’ level on the Observatory’s scale arrived at 5.15pm, then was lowered an hour later
- Two amber alerts preceded it earlier in the day, with accompanying warnings that low-lying and poorly drained areas faced the risk of flooding
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Worsening downpours sweeping through Hong Kong led to a red rainstorm warning being issued late on Tuesday afternoon, triggering the suspension of all evening school classes.
The warning – the first to reach that level this year – came at 5.15pm as heavy rain exceeded 50mm an hour and was believed likely to continue. An hour later, at 6.15pm, the storm was downgraded back to amber status, with the warning cancelled at 9.10pm.
The rainy weather is expected to spill into Wednesday before clearing up and giving way to very hot temperatures on Thursday, with the Hong Kong Observatory forecasting a maximum of 33 degrees Celsius. Thunderstorms are expected to return on Friday and early Saturday.
Earlier in the day, the city issued two amber rainstorm warnings within hours.
