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The astonishing rainfall of Typhoon Haikui: Why did Hong Kong experience the strongest rainstorm in history?
On the evening of September 7, 2023, sudden heavy rains in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta region caused serious losses. The strongest rainstorm in history not only flooded the city, but also plunged society into chaos. According to reports, the death toll from this heavy rain has risen to four, and the number of injuries has reached dozens, which undoubtedly exposed the hasty crisis management capabilities.
Historical background
Typhoon Haikui made landfall in Fujian Province, China, on September 5, 2023, and then moved toward Guangdong Province. Its residual low-pressure system stayed in the Pearl River Delta area for more than two days. With the interaction of the local system and the southwest monsoon, the Pearl River Delta began to experience extreme rainfall since the night of September 7. The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) issued a flood warning for the Northern District at 7:50 that evening, and the subsequent rainfall conditions rapidly deteriorated, forcing the Observatory to upgrade from a yellow rain warning to a red rain warning in less than half an hour, and finally issued it at 11:05 A black rain warning was issued for the first time in two years.
According to data from the Hong Kong Observatory, Hong Kong recorded 158.1 mm of rainfall between 11 pm on September 7 and 12 am on September 8, which is the highest hourly rainfall since 1884.
The heavy rain continued throughout the night and gradually weakened until the afternoon of September 8. The black rain warning lasted for more than 16 hours, the longest period since the rain warning system was implemented in 1992. In 24 hours, the Hong Kong Observatory recorded a total of more than 632 millimeters of rainfall, second only to the record set in 1889. Anemone also became the tidal storm in Hong Kong's history.
Impact
This heavy rain caused flooding throughout Hong Kong, especially in Wong Tai Sin District, which was particularly severely affected. There were widespread reports that the shopping mall on Lung Cheung Road and the subway station in the area were flooded, and some railway lines were temporarily suspended due to flooding. Many vehicles were trapped by floodwaters, including a bus that was submerged in Chai Wan on Hong Kong Island. Some residents in the New Territories were forced to flee their villages due to water reaching their chests.
During this thrilling rainstorm, rocks slipped on the hillsides around Shajiao Village, and dozens of meters of road were covered with mud and boulders, blocking traffic. The illegal construction of some luxury residential structures was exposed due to landslides.
As the heavy rain continued, many landslides occurred on the ground, leaving local residents stunned. Especially near Stanley, traffic was paralyzed, and life was affected to a certain extent.
Disputed matters
Reservoir drainage
In the early morning of September 8, the Hong Kong government issued a brief statement confirming that the Shenzhen reservoir would be drained at midnight. Relevant authorities have warned that "some areas in the New Territories may be at risk of flooding." Drainage started at 0:15, but many villagers hurriedly prepared to deal with the heavy rain. The security minister said that the flood "seems to have no direct relationship with Shenzhen's drainage." But local villagers doubted whether the situation was caused by this.
Government response
As the flood situation continued into the morning, the government announced the closure of all schools in Hong Kong on September 8. But the government is merely "reminding" employers that non-essential employees do not need to come to work under "extreme conditions." This response sparked public dissatisfaction, with most people criticizing the government's response as untimely and lacking in intensity.
The government initially described the rainfall as a "once-in-a-hundred-year" rainfall, but soon adjusted it to a "once-in-a-thousand-year event", triggering widespread doubts and anger in society. After all, the public had already raised various questions about the authorities' response measures.
As the flood situation intensifies, many observers and commentators have called on the government to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the emergency system and review future disaster preparedness.
Conclusion
The impact of Typhoon Haikui not only revealed Hong Kong's vulnerability to extreme weather, but also prompted the public to seriously reflect on government management and response capabilities. In the face of increasingly frequent extreme weather conditions, can Hong Kong actively adjust its response strategies to protect the safety of its residents and infrastructure?
