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Mike Rowse

I apologise if this offends anyone, but I feel obliged to ask if Hong Kong has become a city of wusses. Do we really have to close down much of the city every time there’s excessive rain?
The three-tier system Hong Kong has for rainstorm warnings – comprising amber, red and black – is useful for alerting the community to the likely intensity of rainfall, but I really have to ask if it is still suitable as a guide for whether people should go to work or be expected to do so.
Hong Kong recently experienced its fourth black rainstorm signal in an eight-day timespan, which is a record, and has resulted in a historic amount of rainfall for the month of August. The question is whether that should be sufficient reason to bring much of normal life to a standstill.
The actual experience of recent days suggests we could be a lot more pragmatic in our approach. Take last week, for example. On both Monday and Tuesday, I had to travel from Hong Kong Island to the RTHK studio in Broadcast Drive to take part in a radio show. On Monday, with a red rainstorm alert, the trip was smooth as traffic was fairly light, though there was a bit of a build-up in the opposite direction.
When the show finished at 10pm, there was a cloudburst in Kowloon Tong. However, a taxi soon showed up to drive me to an MTR station nearby. The train service to Admiralty was operating normally.
On Tuesday, there was a black signal and almost no road traffic in either direction. There was another cloudburst at the end of the show, but the minibus and train soon did the trick. On both days, I got a bit wet, but that’s nothing out of the ordinary on a rainy day.

Putting personal experience aside, there were a number of common features on both days which raise wider questions. For the most part, trains, buses, minibuses and taxis seemed to have run smoothly. Emergency services were also evidently available. Doctors and nurses continued to minister to the sick. Maintenance workers were also on alert, ready to clear drainage channels and rope off blocked roads.
All this was to be expected, but it was by no means a complete picture: convenience stores were open, as were various food outlets. Newspapers were being delivered normally. Some fitness studios were open. Other aspects of daily life ticked along.
As I sat alone in the office reading the news and eating my McDonald’s hamburger, I asked myself who else was missing. The answer was clear: it was mainly office workers. If it was safe enough for the men and women who drive our buses to show up for work, why were all the people who would normally occupy the seats on those buses not there?
If it is fine for 7-Eleven and Circle K stores to open amid severe weather, why isn’t it for government offices or banks? I feel bound to ask whether there is some kind of division based on class that makes it acceptable for some people to get rained on while other precious types must be kept dry at all costs.


Nobody is suggesting large swathes of the population should put themselves in harm’s way. When places get flooded during heavy rainfall, everyone should avoid them. However, just because Hill Road has turned into a waterfall doesn’t mean all of Hong Kong Island should be closed.
Moreover, with all the advances in artificial intelligence, the question is bound to be asked whether Hong Kong can differentiate better between different geographic areas. It might be safe to go to Shau Kei Wan when Tai Po is out of the question.
Similar considerations also apply to Hong Kong’s system of typhoon signals. What applies to ships at sea or those working in construction or agriculture will not always be appropriate for those working inside robust buildings in sheltered areas.
It would be easy and tempting to shrug off recent events and just go back to business as usual. But climate change is only in its early stages and much greater impacts are on the way. As rainstorms and typhoons become more extreme, we will have to cope somehow. It will be important to minimise adverse effects on the economy. How much working time per year are we prepared to lose? Two weeks? Three? A month?

Meanwhile, we must reconsider the way we treat people differently during extreme weather events. Hong Kong is gradually eliminating the difference between white-collar and blue-collar work in the context of eligibility to enjoy public holidays. This is a sensible social objective. It would be foolish, and against the spirit of the times, to pursue the opposite policy with respect to reporting for duty during inclement weather.
There may be legal consequences if staff have the right, by statute or contract, to decline to work in some circumstances. There may also be consequences for third-party insurance. Such issues must be dealt with. In practice, most people will look to the example set by the government.
Since a significant number of the workforce must turn out regardless, if we care about equality, Hong Kong must take a hard look at those who have enjoyed being exempted from toiling through extreme weather events. They may have to get their feet wet, too.


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Is Hong Kong going to let extreme weather rain on productivity?

People brave the weather in Central, Hong Kong, during a black rainstorm alert on July 29. Photo: May Tse

A bus is seen on a flooded street at New Clear Water Bay Road in Choi Hung on August 5. Photo: Sam Tsang

Workers respond to a flooded outdoor car park on King Yin Lane in Tseung Kwan O amid a black rainstorm on August 5. Photo: May Tse

Hong Kong needs stronger plan for a future of more frequent extreme weather

A woman waits to cross a flooded section of New Clear Water Bay Road in Choi Hung on August 5. The Hong Kong Observatory had issued a black rainstorm warning for the second time in six hours. Photo: Sam Tsang

4 black rain days in a week show Hong Kong’s climate fight urgency

Illustration: Stephen Case

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A child reacts as Kuomintang  party supporters rally against a recall election in Taipei on July 25. Photo: Reuters

Federal agents detain a person exiting an immigration court hearing in New York City on August 6. Photo: Getty Images/AFP

A handout photo made available by the Royal Thai Police shows Chinese actor Wang Xing (centre) being escorted by officers in Bangkok, Thailand, after returning from Myanmar, on January 7. Photo: EPA-EFE

Hong Kong Observatory to enhance AI models after record-breaking downpours

Tuesday saw the city hit by the highest daily rainfall for August since records began in 1884. Photo: Karma Lo

Waterfalls form along a hillside on Yiu Hing Road in Shau Kei Wan during the torrential downpours on Tuesday. Photo: Sam Tsang

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With transport services largely available and several stores open during storms, it’s unclear why most white-collar workers need to stay home


With transport services largely available and several stores open during storms, it’s unclear why most white-collar workers need to stay home.


Extreme weather

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Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Is Hong Kong going to let extreme weather rain on productivity?

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}With transport services largely available and several stores open during storms, it’s unclear why most white-collar workers need to stay home

With transport services largely available and several stores open during storms, it’s unclear why most white-collar workers need to stay home