Thousands of disgruntled Hongkongers caught in heavy rain during their Tuesday morning commute have asked why the city’s weather forecaster did not issue its highest-level warning earlier, although meteorologists have said some deluges are hard to predict.
Social media users took to the comments section of the Observatory’s posts to vent their frustration after the forecaster issued the first black rainstorm warning of the year on Tuesday morning as many were already well on their way to work or had already reached the office.
The Observatory’s senior scientific officer, Choy Chun-wing, said the speed at which the downpours developed made forecasts difficult.
“As the development of the rainstorms was very fast and there was randomness in the development, even with the latest technology there is still a limitation to precisely predict the exact location and time of torrential rain,” he said.
The weather forecaster issued a red rainstorm signal at 8.40am and soon escalated it to the highest-level warning at 9.10am. The black rainstorm warning was in force for about two hours.
Under government guidelines, most employees are not required to report for duty if a black rainstorm alert is issued before work hours. Employers must prioritise safety and ensure no wage deductions for affected staff, with companies also to be held liable for commute-related injuries.
