400 milliliters of rain fell in several hours... Where did that happen?

Arabia Weather - On Saturday, Hong Kong was subjected to heavy rains and floods in some areas such as Cong Kwan O, Shau Kei Wan and Clearwater Bay, sparking residents' memories of the "once in 500 years" storm that struck the city last September.

According to the observatory, cumulative rainfall amounts reached about 400 mm in parts of Cong Kwan O by 4 p.m., while it reached more than 200 mm in the eastern part of the city.

Current and former meteorologists at the observatory unanimously agreed that the rainstorm was the result of low atmospheric pressure and upper air disturbances in the region, causing heavy rains and thunderstorms in the vicinity of the Pearl River Delta.

400 mm of precipitation in 6 hours

Zhuhai, Guangdong Province , China , World Weather

Heavy rains today cause flooding in Zhuhai, Guangdong - China
4-5-2024

pic.twitter.com/T0pkT3XWYY

- World_Weather (@Arab_Storms) May 4, 2024

What is the cause of unusual rains in China?

Saturday's rainfall was unusual and quite uneven in its distribution, said Tsz Cheung, the observatory's senior scientific officer.

Cheung pointed out that the variation in rainfall in different areas of the city is due to the slow movement of rain clouds.

For his part, Leong Wing Mo, former assistant director of the observatory, said that recording more than 200 mm of rain in one day in May is not uncommon.

He added that although there is not 100 percent certainty about whether Saturday's rainfall was directly caused by climate change, the frequency of such phenomena is expected to increase; Due to global warming.

As for Hong Kong's records, official statistics indicate that the city saw 520 mm of rain on May 30, 1889, followed by 324 mm on May 8, 1992. On May 24, 2017, 273 mm of rain was recorded.

Regarding why rainstorms suddenly become more frequent, Leung explained that current meteorological techniques are only able to predict to a limited extent whether the overall weather pattern will be favorable for heavy rainfall.

See also:

What did Al-Musnad say about the phenomenon of volcanic lightning?

The worst floods witnessed in southern Brazil in 80 years... What is the story?

Sources:

scmp