The government said it will decide before 6am on Friday whether to suspend classes and work for the day, after severe torrential downpours that hit Hong Kong on Thursday night caused serious flooding across the city, turning streets into rivers and leaving drivers trapped in their vehicles.

The Observatory issued its first Black Rainstorm Warning in two years, saying it recorded an hourly rainfall of over 158 millimetres between 11pm on Thursday and midnight, the highest since records began in 1884.

"The trough of low pressure associated with remnant of Haikui has brought torrential rain to the coast of Guangdong since last night (September 7). From 6 pm last night to midnight, more than 70 mm of rainfall were recorded in most parts of the territory, and even over 200 mm were recorded in Kowloon, the northeastern part of the New Territories and Hong Kong Island," the weatherman said.

"Due to serious road flooding and adverse weather, members of the public should pay attention to safety."

The government said it will carefully assess the weather and road situation, and make an announcement before 6am as to whether to suspend schools and work.

Chief Executive John Lee, for his part, said he's very concerned about the severe flooding in many parts of Hong Kong, adding that different government departments are doing all they can to address the situation.

He called on members of the public to take shelter in a safe place and take note of the latest weather announcements.
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Last updated: 2023-09-08 HKT 02:45