Legco members call for rainstorm warning class suspension mechanism

The Observatory issued the black rainstorm warning signal twice yesterday, with the worst weather conditions recorded in the New Territories.

All afternoon and evening classes were suspended at the time, with some lawmakers suggesting authorities to set up a district-by-district class suspension mechanism in accordance with weather conditions.

The Observatory issued the black rainstorm warning signal twice within a single day on Thursday.But not all areas across the city experienced the same downpour.In Kowloon Tong, umbrellas were often unnecessary given the lack of rain.

Rainfall of over 200 millimetres was recorded in the North District, Yuen Long, Tuen Mun as well as Chek Lap Kok, while parts of Hong Kong Island only recorded 20 to 30 millimetres of rainfall.Such thunderstorms often affect only small segments of the city.

According to the Education Bureau, all AM school and whole-day school classes are to be suspended if the Observatory issues the red or black rainstorm warning signals between 5:30 a.m. and 8 a.m.Lawmaker Tang Fei from the education constituency urged the Education Bureau to work with the Observatory to set up a district-by-district class suspension mechanism in times of heavy rain.He said rain levels often differ by district, adding that the cancellation of classes in areas with less rain may be a wasteful measure.

Meanwhile, the Geotechnical Engineering Office said it received two cases of landslides as of 9 a.m. on Friday, located in Yuen Long and Tuen Mun respectively.

The office stressed the city's slopes may be in unstable condition after continuous days of heavy rain, and reminded residents to avoid elevated areas affected by the downpours.