Radio Lantau News

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1. HK to see occasional showers, thunderstorms until Sat

   Hong Kong will continue to face occasional showers and squally thunderstorms on Friday and Saturday, according to the observatory. The weather agency said it recorded more than 100 millimetres of rainfall over many places in the SAR on Thursday, with repeated amber and red rainstorm warnings during the day. Rainfall exceeded 140 millimetres in some areas. Shum Chi-tai, an acting senior scientific officer at the observatory, said the remnant of tropical storm Danas is not the only factor causing the unstable weather. "The adverse weather is not related solely to the remnants of Danas, but also the southwest monsoon. From what we see, we expect that occasional showers and squally thunderstorms will continue, and there will be some more showers tomorrow," he said on an RTHK programme on Friday. "Looking ahead, there will be an anticyclone aloft that will gradually affect Hong Kong in the coming days. Therefore, by early next week, the showers will let up and conditions will improve." The Drainage Services Department confirmed six flooding reports between Wednesday night and 8am on Friday, with all of them coming from the New Territories. Chan Hak-keung, the department's acting assistant director of operations and maintenance, said there was a flood on the San Tin Highway, two on San Tin Tsuen Road, and one each in Tai Wo Village in Pat Heung and Long Tin Road in Yuen Long. "These six locations are not flooding black spots. What happened was that mud and silt, as well as tree leaves and branches were washed into drainage inlets and roadside gullies and caused blockages. After removal works were completed, the drains were up and running again within an hour or two," he told the same radio show. Chan said more than 100 emergency response teams were dispatched to handle floods and clear blocked drains. He added that before downpours on Wednesday, his department carried out inspections and clearance work at 240 spots across the city that are prone to flooding.

2. Weiqi tournament kicks off in HK

   A Weiqi competition amongst university students began in Hong Kong on Thursday, as 14 teams from Asia compete for the title. It is the third edition of the Hong Kong International University Student Weiqi Competition. New entrants to the board game tournament include students from Tsinghua and Peking Universities. The three-day event, hosted by the Hong Kong Greater Bay Area Weiqi Promotion Association, is being held at the University of Science and Technology. Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang, who attended the opening ceremony, said he is glad to see that Weiqi is being promoted because it is part of traditional Chinese culture. He added that Hong Kong residents have shown increasing enthusiasm for the game in recent years. The organiser said the event is meant to promote the board game in the SAR, whilst encouraging exchanges between Weiqi players from around the world. Weiqi was a sport at the Hangzhou Asian Games held two years ago.

3. Observatory cancels amber rain alert

   The Observatory cancelled the amber rainstorm warning at 8pm on Thursday, after heavy rain affected Hong Kong for much of the day. However, the forecaster said people should remain vigilant about potential river flooding. Data from the observatory showed that in the 24 hours leading up to 7.45pm, much of the SAR recorded rainfall of more than 70mm. The western part of the New Territories was hit the hardest, with rainfall of at least 300mm recorded in Tsuen Wan, Ma Wan and parts of Tsing Yi. The red rainstorm warning was issued three times within a 13-hour period, with the government suspending classes at schools for much of Thursday, and on Friday as a precaution. The observatory said the downpours were associated with the remains of tropical storm Danas.

4. HKU announces new Hepatitis B gene therapy

   The University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Medicine said on Thursday that one of its 41 drugs under clinical trials for Hepatitis B may provide a cure for patients. The new gene therapy consists of removing the Hepatitis B infected gene along the patient’s genetic code to reduce the surface antigens of the virus and halt the integration of the virus with the human genome. “If we can suppress the virus and also eradicate the virus, the patients will not suffer or have a minimal risk or lower risk of suffering from liver cancer development and cirrhosis or liver failure,” said Professor Yuen Man-fung, who heads the research team. “And that obviously will bring hope and a better life for patients,” he added. Currently, treatments for the disease can only help patients manage symptoms. Patients are still at risk of developing liver cancer or other complications, despite being required to rely on lifelong medication to treat the disease. The team said it has started testing the method on patients from March this year, and is hoping to enroll around 40 patients by the end of 2026. It said all of its nine patients undergoing treatment have had their surface antigen levels reduced, but more research has to be done before more data can be finalised and revealed. In Hong Kong, about six percent of the population live with the chronic disease.

5. Four held 'for conspiracy to commit subversion'

   National security police on Thursday said they had arrested four males, aged 15 to 47, on suspicion of conspiracy to commit subversion. Police said they were believed to be members of a Taiwan-based organisation that promotes Hong Kong independence, provides military training and seeks foreign interference, with some of them described as "core members". During an arrest operation on Wednesday, officers said they seized electronic devices detailing the activities of the organisation’s members, as well as a letter urging the US government to come up with a plan to rescue "political prisoners". Police also said they confiscated flags, including one printed with the slogan "Free Hong Kong, Revolution Now", alongside others symbolising independence movements in Tibet, Xinjiang and Guangdong. "According to the investigation, some of them [the suspects] are responsible for the design of the so-called flags for their organisation. Another one was to plan how to solicit assistance from foreign countries, and even one of them had their own plans to organise or to provide some military training for their fellow members," said Chief Superintendent Steve Li. He also said the four suspects had communicated through social media and secure communication devices. The chief superintendent warned that conspiracy to commit subversion carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

6. Construction worker dies in border bridge accident

   A construction worker at the border bridge connecting Hong Kong with Macau and Zhuhai died on Thursday after he was apparently hit by a falling steel beam. Police said they received a call at around 2pm over the incident at the Shun Wui Road site. Officers said two workers were suspected to have been hit by an H-beam. One suffered limb injuries and was conscious when taken to North Lantau Hospital. The other worker was declared dead at the scene.

7. Record stress levels ahead of DSE results: survey

   With Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exam results coming out next week, student stress levels have hit a record high since the pandemic, a youth group said on Thursday. A survey by the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG) found over half of the 1,456 secondary students interviewed reported significant stress. Among form 6 students awaiting DSE results, 52.9 percent reported they were highly stressed, a sharp rise from 41.7 percent last year and a record-high since 2020. Meanwhile, 57.1 percent of form 5 students preparing for upcoming exams also reported high stress levels. Andy Chan, supervisor of the HKFYG, said economic uncertainty and shrinking job prospects are weighing on young people's minds. "In 2020, there was Covid. It meant the whole of society, including students, encountered uncertainty. They didn't know what was happening... Compared to recent research, it's pretty similar because we don't know how the economy will go, will it rebound or be steady as right now," he said. "We found that they feel pretty worried about whether they have good prospects after they make a choice in the Jupas [Joint University Programmes Admissions System], whether they will have a good job after they graduate." Chan also highlighted growing anxiety about artificial intelligence, with many students fearing their chosen study paths and potential careers could be marginalised or even eliminated by the time they enter the workforce. In response, he strongly encouraged students to develop contingency plans regardless of their exam results. Chan also said the HKFYG will enhance its support services next week to provide better assistance for students and parents navigating the stressful period.

8. Red rainstorm alert on and off as deluge hits city

   The red rainstorm warning was raised twice in three hours on Thursday amid widespread downpours across Hong Kong. In issuing the red alert again at 12.40pm, the observatory said further heavy rain could cause serious road flooding and traffic congestion and that several areas in the New Territories were particularly being battered by downpours. "Heavy rain is affecting the northern part of the New Territories, especially in Pat Heung and Kam Tin areas," it said. "More than 60 millimetres of rainfall have been recorded in the past one hour. "Residents in the northern New Territories, who are likely to be affected, are advised to take necessary precautions to avoid possible flood damage. Heavy rain may bring about flash floods. People should stay away from watercourses. They should also pay attention to the flood sirens if they are nearby." The red rainstorm warning was replaced by an amber alert at 3.30pm. "Locally, around 50 millimetres of rainfall were recorded over many places in the afternoon, and rainfall even exceeded 80 millimetres over parts of the New Territories West," the observatory said. The forecaster had also issued an amber warning at 8.35am, before upgrading this to red an hour later. The Drainage Services Department confirmed five incidents of flooding in the New Territories as of 3pm. Two cases were reported along San Tin Highway near Mo Fan Heung, two on San Tin Tsuen Road, and one in Tai Wo Village, according to the department, which also dispatched more than 100 emergency response teams across the city. According to the observatory's forecast, the remnant of tropical storm Danas was moving southwest across eastern Guangdong and might skirt Dongguan and Huizhou. "The active southwest monsoon to its south will generally affect the vicinity of the Pearl River estuary [on Thursday and Friday]. There will be torrential rain and squally thunderstorms over the region," it said. _____________________________ Last updated: 2025-07-10 HKT 17:19

9. No Friday school as bad weather wreaks havoc

   The Education Bureau said classes at all day schools – including kindergartens, childcare centres, as well as primary, secondary and special schools – will be suspended on Friday to ensure the safety of pupils with severe weather likely to continue. Classes at all Thursday afternoon schools would be suspended, while morning classes and whole-day schools should continue, as heavy rain lashed the SAR. The observatory downgraded the red rainstorm warning to an amber alert on Thursday, about an hour after the higher signal was issued. However, the forecaster warned that heavy downpours would persist as it issued the amber signal at 10.40am, meaning rain exceeding 30 millimetres in an hour "has fallen or is expected to fall generally" over Hong Kong. "There will be flooding in some low-lying and poorly drained areas," it said. "People who are likely to be affected should take necessary precautions to reduce their exposure to risk posed by the heavy rain and flooding. "Heavy rain may bring about flash floods. People should stay away from watercourses. People who are likely to be affected by flooding should take necessary precautions to avoid losses." Officials said the decision to cancel classes on Friday was made after taking into account the fact that schools have begun or will soon begin their summer holidays and class suspensions will have a relatively minimal impact. Parents who need to register their children with new secondary schools on Friday will have to wait until next week. The Transport Department said it would, depending on actual traffic conditions, coordinate with public transport operators to make adjustments and arrange for emergency services. There were two incidences of flooding along San Tin Highway as of 10am, according to the Drainage Services Department, which also deployed some 100 emergency response teams across the city. The observatory first issued the amber rainstorm warning at 8.35am, before upgrading it to red an hour later. The amber signal was also issued on Wednesday night and later replaced by a red signal before midnight. All warnings were cancelled at 1.40am on Thursday. The alerts came as the territory braced for tropical storm Danas, which moved southwest across eastern Guangdong. "Under the influence of the remnant of Danas and the active southwest monsoon, there are heavy showers and squally thunderstorms over the coast of southern China and the northern part of the South China Sea," the forecaster said. "Locally, heavy showers this morning brought about 50 millimetres of rainfall to many places, and rainfall even exceeded 70 millimetres over Lamma Island and the southern part of Lantau Island."

10. HK to tweak mainland standards for Northern Link

    Adjustments will be made according to the SAR's situation when mainland standards are adopted for the construction of the Northern Link, according to the Highways Department on Thursday. The government has announced that the main and spur lines will be combined into one project. Thomas Sze, an engineer with the department's railway development office, said on an RTHK radio show on Thursday the merger will achieve synergy, lower construction costs and enhance operational efficiency. It marks the first time that mainland standards are employed on a railway project in the SAR. "The way to do that is to adopt the design standards on the mainland," he said. "But depending on the situation in Hong Kong, we will make appropriate adjustments on parameters such as wind speeds and [soil] subsidence. "Hong Kong has a stricter set of criteria regarding wind speeds because the city is often impacted by typhoons, while we also have stricter geological requirements." Sze went on to say mainland standards can be adopted in various aspects, such as in excavation work, station construction and signalling systems. He hopes a combination of the two standards can create a new standard for use in future railway projects. In terms of a potential impact on commuters' experience, Sze said the adoption of mainland standards will not cause any difference as MTR Corporation has its own service guidelines. The government engineer said the department will have to fully consider whether the Northern Link will be opened in phases, as this would mean that work that has yet to be completed can only be carried out during the "golden two hours" when trains are not operating.