By Bernama,
Hong Kong : Torrential rain blackened the sky and lashed Hong Kong here Saturday morning, forcing closure of schools and hospitals and widely disrupting traffic in the city.
The Hong Kong Observatory issued an amber rainstorm warning signal at about 5:15 a.m. here Saturday and soon upgraded the warning system to the highest black rainstorm warning signal at 6: 40, forecasting an average of rainfall exceeding 70 millimeters per hour.
The torrential rains submerged roads in many areas and pedestrians were forced to wade through the knee-deep water, Xinhua news agency reported Saturday.
Firefighters were called to help out stranded passengers and drivers at Wong Nai Chung Road near the Happy Valley.
A highway linking the Kowloon to the Hong Kong International Airport was also cut off following a landslide report and the inundation.
The Home Affairs Department opened its emergency co-ordination centers to provide shelter for those in need of temporary accommodation following a landslide warning signal issued by the Hong Kong Observatory.
The Education Bureau also announced to suspend classes of all AM schools and whole-day schools due to the black rainstorm warning signal, which also made the judiciary close all courts, tribunals, court registries and offices.
The Hospital Authority announced that its general out-patient clinics, specialist clinics including physiotherapy and occupational therapy, geriatric day hospitals and psychiatric day hospitals will close today due to Black Rainstorm Warning.
Many tourism spots, including the Wetland Park and Ngong Ping 360 cable cars, had to close down temporarily.
Hong Kong Disneyland, one of the city’s major attractions, also announced in a press release to close the park “for the sake of tourists’ safety” and will re-open with limited operations if the Black Rainstorm Warning signal is cancelled.