Storms add to commuters' Monday blues

Commuters were advised to be on the alert today as thunderstorms were expected to continue during the morning rush hour and many roads were already flooded from four days of rain. Parents of schoolchildren were advised to listen to radio and television announcements as normal school hours could be disrupted.

At 9.50pm the red rainstorm warning signal was in force, which indicates rainfall exceeding 50mm an hour.

The border areas of Sha Tau Kok and Sheung Shui took the brunt of the storms yesterday - by midnight rainfall was estimated to have reached 200mm and homes, roads and farmland were flooded.

By 9pm, there had been 13 reports of flooding in the New Territories and Kowloon, three reports of mudslides in North District and 10 reports of fallen trees across the territory, a government spokesman said. There were no reports of injuries.

At 7.55am yesterday, the Observatory issued an amber rainstorm signal - the lowest of the amber, red and black warning system, indicating rainfall of 30mm per hour.

After the weather eased around noon, the Observatory issued a second amber warning at 2.15pm, which was later upgraded to red.