Amber rainstorm lifted as nine wet days loom
Thestandard · 2 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
The Hong Kong Observatory canceled the Amber Rainstorm Warning Signal at 11.40am on Friday as the latest forecast pointed to a prolonged spell of wet weather across the city starting the same day. Initial conditions are expected to stay mainly cloudy with occasional showers and squally thunderstorms, before a temporary turn to very hot weather over the weekend and early next week.
Key Points
- The Hong Kong Observatory lifted the Amber Rainstorm Warning Signal at 11.40am on Friday, ending the warning while cautioning that unsettled weather will continue.
- Its latest nine-day forecast shows continuous or persistent rainfall affecting Hong Kong from Friday, with heavy downpours expected at times initially.
- Friday's local weather is forecast to be mainly cloudy, with occasional showers, squally thunderstorms, moderate southwesterly winds and highs of around 31 degrees Celsius.
- An upper-air disturbance and a southwest airstream are expected to keep bringing showers and squally thunderstorms to the Pearl River Estuary early on Saturday.
- As the disturbance moves away, the Guangdong coast is expected to turn very hot over the weekend and early next week, though scattered showers and short sunny intervals will remain.
- A broad trough of low pressure is developing over the northern South China Sea and waters east of Taiwan, and may edge closer to Guangdong by mid-to-late next week.
Why It Matters
Hong Kong residents may face rapidly changing conditions over the coming days, with heavy rain and thunderstorms giving way to hotter weather before another unsettled system approaches the coast. The forecast suggests planning disruptions could persist well beyond Friday even after the rainstorm warning was lifted.