Hong Kong: Red Rainstorm warning

I'm writing this @ 06:00 AM sitting on our balcony overlooking the bay down below.

Only I can't see it! There is an almighty electrical storm currently going on - an amazing spectacle. The rain is so heavy, I can barely see landmarks 50ft away.

Breathtaking purple tinged forked lighting is repeatedly hitting the islands in the bay - just about 3/4 mile away. The thunder is immediate and makes the teeth rattle every time. No stage horror show sound effect can match this for its intensity. Adrenaline is pumping through me as the thunder starts on my right and peels to the left, echoing on the mountains behind me. I know it's not wise to be sitting on a metal chair placed on an outside balcony a couple of hundred feet in the air surrounded by metal railings and with a metal notebook on my lap plugged into the mains.

But can't resist it.

I've blogged before, but the weather here is sometimes truly biblical.

In the past hour, there have been 650+ lightning stikes in HK and you can see where they've struck in real time on this site.

AWESOME.



From the HK Met office site:

RED RAINSTORM WARNING SIGNAL

Red Rainstorm Warning Signal Special Announcement issued by
the Hong Kong Observatory at 5:55 a.m.

The Rainstorm Warning Signal is now Red. This means that
heavy rain has fallen or is expected to fall generally over
Hong Kong, exceeding 50 millimetres in an hour, and is
likely to continue.

Further heavy rain could cause, if not already caused,
serious road flooding and traffic congestion and could
disrupt normal school hours. Parents, students, school
authorities and school-bus drivers should listen to radio
or television announcements on schools. People who have to
travel should carefully consider the weather and road
conditions and take necessary precautions.

Meanwhile, those with duties to perform during rainstorms
should now go to their duty stations.

Please listen to radio or watch television for traffic
conditions and further announcements on the rainstorm.

DISPATCHED BY HONG KONG OBSERVATORY AT 05:56 HKT ON 07.06.2008


THUNDERSTORM WARNING

THUNDERSTORM WARNING

THUNDERSTORM WARNING ISSUED AT 3:55 A.M. ON 7 JUN 2008 HAS
BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL 8:00 A.M. TODAY. SCATTERED SQUALLY
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR OVER HONG KONG.

GUSTS REACHING 70 KILOMETRES PER HOUR OR ABOVE MAY AFFECT
HONG KONG.

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE ADVISED TO TAKE THE FOLLOWING
PRECAUTIONS WHEN THUNDERSTORMS OCCUR:

1. STAY INDOORS. SEEK SHELTER IN BUILDINGS IF YOU ARE
ENGAGING IN OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES.

2. DO NOT STAND ON HIGH GROUNDS. KEEP AWAY FROM HIGHLY
CONDUCTIVE OBJECTS, TREES OR MASTS.

3. TAKE PRECAUTIONS AGAINST VIOLENT GUSTS. BEWARE OF FLYING
DEBRIS AND FALLING OBJECTS.

4. DRIVERS USING HIGHWAYS AND FLYOVERS SHOULD REDUCE SPEED
TO BE ALERT TO VIOLENT GUSTS.

DISPATCHED BY HONG KONG OBSERVATORY AT 05:30 HKT ON 07.06.2008

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