On August 5, Hong Kong was hit by record-breaking daily rainfall of 368.9 millimeteres, a third of the monthly total and the highest daily rainfall in August since records began in 1884.
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Last month was Hong Kong’s third wettest August on record with 939.2 millimeteres of rainfall recorded, the city’s Observatory has said.
An unusually wet start to the month necessitated the issuance of three Black Rainstorm Warning signals – the highest rainfall signal – in just four days between August 2 and 5, a record for the city. On August 5, Hong Kong was hit by record-breaking daily rainfall of 368.9 millimeteres, the highest daily rainfall in August since records began in 1884.
The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) also issued four tropical cyclone warning signals last month, tying the highest single-month record since 1946, as two typhoons – Podul and Kajiki – and two tropical depressions skirted the city.
5 More Typhoons
Up to five more typhoons are expected to come within 500 kilometers (310 miles) of Hong Kong before the end of the year, an above-normal figure, HKO warned last month. It also predicted that the coming months would be rainier and hotter than usual given warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean.
While typhoons are a rather common weather phenomenon, there has been a significant increase in their intensity in recent decades, which scientific observations link to increased ocean temperatures. As ocean surfaces warm, so does the air above it, causing water to be carried up to high altitudes to form clouds, while leaving a low pressure zone beneath causing more air to rush in. As these systems build up, thunderstorms are formed. In the absence of strong winds to disrupt it, the system can intensify into a typhoon.
While the number of typhoons is not necessarily increasing, those that do form are becoming more destructive – generating heavier rain and a higher storm surge.
Record Heat
September was off to a hot start in Hong Kong, with temperatures on Monday – the first day of the month – reaching 38.4C in Sheung Shui. According to HKO, it was the highest September temperature since records at that station began in 2004.
Featured image: Kyle Lam/hongkongfp.com
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