Bad weather forced Food Expo organisers to start the five-day event later than scheduled on Thursday, leaving visitors hungry for deals while waiting in queues for hours.

The Trade Development Council, which organises the fair, pushed back the expo's opening time to 1.10pm – two hours after the Black Rainstorm Warning Signal was downgraded to a red alert.

The event in Wan Chai will also stay open for an extra hour to 11pm from Friday to Sunday.

Among those who headed to the Convention and Exhibition Centre early was a visitor, surnamed Kwan, who arrived at the venue before 10am.

"Everyone here just kept waiting... In the end, the wait got longer and longer," she told RTHK. "Not to mention the elderly, we would get tired after standing for a long time."

Another visitor in line, surnamed Wong, arrived shortly after the black rainstorm alert was lowered.

"I did not anticipate having to wait for another two hours before it opens," she said. "As customers, we hoped the organisers would be more compassionate and open the expo sooner, so that we did not have to wait for so long."

But a resident, surnamed Fung, was not bothered by the wait.

"Two hours isn't a long time... There's nothing we can do but to wait," he said.

Organisers had hoped to attract 500,000 people to the fair as well as four other events being held at the same time, including the Beauty and Wellness and Home Delights expos.

The events combined will showcase around 1,890 exhibitors from 35 countries and regions.