The Observatory issued the Black Rainstorm Warning at 4am on Monday amid a heavy downpour brought by Typhoon Koinu, with severe rain having fallen or being expected to fall generally over Hong Kong.

The forecaster said more than 100 millimetres of rainfall had been recorded over many places since midnight, and rainfall even exceeded 200 millimetres over the eastern part of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon East and Tseung Kwan O.

It came as the territory recorded more than 90 millimetres of rainfall in northern parts of the New Territories, particularly Pat Heung and Kam Tin.

"Intense rain bands associated with Koinu are affecting the vicinity of the Pearl River Estuary. From the radar imagery, we can see that in the past few hours, rain bands have been continuously stripping Hong Kong from east to west," said acting senior scientific officer Ho Chun-kit.

It advised people to stay away from watercourses and residents living near the rivers to consider evacuation if their homes are flooded.

The Drainage Services Department said it had confirmed two reports of flooding in Eastern District. The department has 80 teams in action to inspect locations that are prone to flooding and clear blocked channels.

The Typhoon Signal No. 8 remained in effect and was expected to stay until at least 11am.
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Last updated: 2023-10-09 HKT 05:43