Hong Kong’s rainfall so far this month has already surpassed typical levels for July by 23 per cent, a review of Observatory data shows, with a meteorologist warning the city will experience more extreme downpours due to global warming.
The Observatory also said on Tuesday that Hong Kong would be hit by rainstorms again over the weekend following weeks of heavy rain as a tropical cyclone neared the city.
A South China Morning Post reporter reviewed the forecaster’s data and found the city recorded 474.7mm (18.69 inches) of rainfall in the first 20 days of July – exceeding the typical monthly level of 385.8mm by 23 per cent.
The city also recorded 600.5mm of rainfall in June, 22 per cent higher than normal.
Last month, heavy showers prompted the forecaster to issue three black rainstorm warnings – the highest in Hong Kong’s three-tier alert system.
Since June, the Observatory has issued 48 rainstorm warnings, nearly double the 25 alerts sent out during the same period last year.
