Typhoon Roke Brings Torrential Rains to Guangdong

By Matthew Bossons, July 23, 2017

At 9.50am this morning, Typhoon Roke made landfall at Hong Kong’s Sai Kung East Country Park, before traveling over Shenzhen and the Pearl River estuary towards Zhongshan.

Due to the typhoon’s arrival on the Special Administrative Region’s eastern frontier, Hong Kong Island and Kowloon were apparently spared the heavy rain and wind commonly associated with tropical storms. Roke, the seventh typhoon of the year, was described by two That’s staffers in Causeway Bay as “anti-climactic,” with only light showers this morning and no rain as of 5pm this afternoon on Hong Kong Island.

Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Foshan weren't quite as lucky, with torrential rains reported in all three cities. As of 5.40pm, the storm had crossed the Pearl River estuary and was traveling over Zhongshan.

Watch footage of the storm filmed in Shenzhen (VPN off):

In response to the storm, authorities in Tianhe, Liwan, Haizhu and Yuexiu Districts, in Guangzhou, issued yellow rainfall warnings. Panyu District upgraded from a yellow to orange rainfall warning at 3.37pm this afternoon.

Over 40,000 fishing boats, and 13,530 people working at sea, returned to ports in Guangdong in anticipation of the storm’s arrival.

Additionally, speed limits were implemented on Guangdong’s vast rail system to account for excessive rainfall, according to GD Today.

Rainstorms are expected to plague Shenzhen until at least Wednesday. It appears that Guangzhou will fare no better, with thunderstorms predicted tomorrow and Tuesday, and showers on Wednesday.

To track Typhoon Roke’s path in real time, click here.

[Images via Southern Metropolis Daily, http://typhoon.zjwater.gov.cn/]