(Reuters) – The Hong Kong Observatory issued its highest rainstorm warning signal, the black rainstorm, on Tuesday morning as intense rainfall swept across the city, causing flooding in multiple areas.
In an eastern residential area of Hong Kong Island, the torrential rain created a flash waterfall on a hillside, with water continuously cascading down the slopes.
The black rainstorm warning was issued at 9:10 am (0110 GMT), before being downgraded to red at 11:05 am (0305 GMT) and later to amber at 11:45 am (0345 GMT).
The black rainstorm warning indicates that rainfall exceeding 70 mm per hour has been recorded or is expected in widespread areas of Hong Kong, with the heavy rain likely to persist.
TORRENTIAL RAIN CONTINUES IN SOUTHERN TAIWAN
Torrential rains lashed southern Taiwan for a second day on Tuesday forcing some 3,000 people to evacuate and businesses and schools to close, as authorities warned of "intense" rainfall of up to 90 centimetres (35.4 inches) in the coming days.
Flooding triggered by a depression has submerged streets and buildings in several towns and villages across southern Taiwan this week. Nine people have been injured and 88 rescued from inundated buildings and cars so far, according to official data.
The Central Weather Administration forecast up to 0.9 metres of rainfall in mountainous areas of the south over the coming days and warned that "intense" rainfall could trigger more flooding and landslides.
Taiwan is still recovering from Typhoon Danas, which struck the island's densely-populated west coast with record winds and brought widespread damage to its electricity grid and some houses.
In the southern city of Tainan, dozens of people were evacuated from houses damaged by Danas, while Taiwan TV footage showed residents in Chiayi County wading through waterlogged roads, pushing scooters, and navigating around inundated buildings.