Heavy rain hits Hong Kong as drainage contracts signed
Hong Kong saw heavy rain on Saturday morning with the Observatory issuing the Amber Rainstorm Warning for about five-and-a-half hours until just before 11 am. There were no reports of any damage, although there was some flooding in Ma On Shan.  The government put out a call for the public to report any flooding and for employers, contractors, and employees to be aware of electrical safety at work.  The heavy rainfall comes less than a day after the Drainage Services Department outlined seven projects to cope with the increasingly frequent extreme weather conditions, with the Director of Drainage Services Ringo Mok signing five contracts relating to the projects. The new projects follow the extreme rainstorms last September and a commitment to implement them by the Chief Executive John Lee in last year's Policy Address.  They include six underground flood storage tanks in Wong Tai Sin, Kowloon City, Shek Kip Mei, Sha Tin, Tai Po, and Kwun Tong along with drainage improvement works in those districts and in Eastern District.  The storage tanks, which have a total capacity of more than 200,000 cubic metres, will be at Shek Kip Mei Park, Morse Park, Hoi Bun Road Park, Argyle Street Playground, Tai Po Old Market Playground, and Sha Tin Park.  Work will be completed in phases over the next three-and-a-half years to six years. The five contracts signed on Friday totalled HK$6.4 billion. _____________________________
Last updated: 2024-08-17 HKT 12:15 