HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s wait for rain was over, as a widespread downpour on Friday (Aug 14) morning eased off weeklong scorching heat, prompting the city’s weather agency to issue the lowest-tier amber rainstorm warning.
Driven by upper-air disturbances and a southwesterly airstream, the amber alert was raised at 8:40 am and canceled three hours later, with showers and squally thunderstorms expected throughout the day, according to the Hong Kong Observatory.
The downpour followed a week of blistering heat across the city, during which the temperature surged past 34 degrees Celsius in various districts.
The maximum temperature recorded at the observatory hit 33 C or higher for nine consecutive days, breaking the record for the longest continuous hot period in August.
On Sunday, a peak of 36.9 C was logged at the observatory – the highest temperature since records began in 1884.
More showers were expected in some areas on Saturday with morning thunderstorms, with sunny intervals during the day.
Very hot weather is forecast to return early next week along with a few showers. - China Daily/ANN
