China: The Special Administrative Region of China, Hong Kong, has paused trading at its stock exchange and closed schools. It comes after torrential rainfall overnight from Typhoon Koinu.
The Koinu took one live in Taiwan last week. The Hong Kong Observatory has issued a 6-hour “black” rainstorm warning as it moved towards the coastal areas of China’s Guangdong province.
Most of the region recorded 150 millilitres of rain. According to the data, in certain parts of Hong Kong, rainfall surpassed 300 millimetres.
“Heavy rain will bring flash floods… People should stay away from watercourses,” the observatory remarked, adding that people living near rivers should be alert in case they need to evacuate.
Trading at the city’s stock exchange was halted during the morning session due to the storm warning. It was anticipated to resume at 2:00 pm.
Schools and daycare centres were ordered to shut down when authorities issued the T8, the city’s third-highest storm warning signal, a day earlier.
In the span of a month, this was the second black rain warning. Back in early September 2023, Hong Kong saw its heaviest rainfall in almost 140 years. This resulted in flooding at subway stations and malls, along with triggering landslides.
Initially, there were no significant damages reported. However, when the second-highest typhoon warning was raised, it led to problems at Hong Kong’s international airport. Hundreds of arriving passengers were stuck without bus, subway, or taxi services.
During the summer and autumn seasons, Southern China often experiences typhoons originating from the warm oceans east of the Philippines, moving westward, as per the statement.