The Hong Kong Observatory issued its highest-level rainstorm warning signal on Tuesday morning, warning of the risk of potential flash flooding.
This is the first time this year that authorities have issued a 'black' rainstorm warning signal -- the most severe of Hong Kong's three-level color-coded weather warning system. The black rainstorm warning indicates that very heavy rain in excess of 70 millimeters per hour has fallen or is expected to continue to fall across the city.
Due to the challenging weather conditions and risk of flooding on roads, the Hong Kong Observatory advised residents to stay in safe places, and urged students, parents, schools, and motorists to listen out for traffic and weather updates, and suggests locals stay indoors until the black warning is lifted.
The torrential rainfall is also expected to trigger flash floods and raise water levels across the city, with the observatory urging residents to stay away from at-risk areas, while those living by rivers should pay extra attention and be prepared to evacuate if necessary.
Hong Kong issues first black rainstorm warning signal of year
Iran's Minister of Science, Research and Technology Hossein Simaei-Sarraf on Saturday condemned the United States and Israel for attacking Iranian academic institutions and research facilities, saying that more than 30 universities across the country have been directly targeted since the war started in late February.
The official made the condemnation when speaking to reporters at the site of the damaged Shahid Beheshti University in the Iranian capital Tehran.
Simaei-Sarraf said five university professors and more than 60 students had been killed in the strikes so far, describing attacks on Iranian infrastructure as "crimes against humanity."
Those killed include Saeed Shamghadri, an associate professor at the Iran University of Science and Technology. "Since the war started, five university professors, including Professor Shamghadri, and more than 60 university students have been killed. As I mentioned before, more than 30 universities in Iran have been attacked. It is unbelievable that in an era when democratic values, rights, international law, and human rights are being promoted, the most obvious of these rights are being trampled, violated, and attacked," said Simaei-Sarraf.
An U.S.-Israeli air raid hit the laser and plasma research center of the Shahid Beheshti University on Friday, destroying the interior of the entire building and shattering all the windows. The force of the strike also shattered almost all the windows on another building about 100 meters away from the explosion site.
A researcher at the university said it is incomprehensible that such a facility could become a target of attacks.
"You can see that there's neither any military personnel or military activity here. This is a place where only research was being conducted. Why did it become a target of attacks? What was the motive for this crime?" Azimi, the researcher, said in an interview with China Media Group.
Since the U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran started, the Iranian government has repeatedly denounced the two countries for targeting the country's academic institutions and research facilities, calling such attacks serious war crimes.
Iranian official condemns U.S.-Israeli strikes on universities
