A pyro show was planned to commemorate May 1st. But nature took matters into its own hands – and offered almost 10,000 lightning strikes. The night of Wednesday offered a rare spectacle over Hong Kong, the city’s weather service announces.
6,000 flashes in one hour
The thunderstorm started at 9pm in the evening and was accompanied by torrential rain. In a single hour, over 5,900 flashes were observed lighting up the city’s skyscrapers.
No injuries were reported, but a Cantonese bamboo opera building reportedly collapsed in the strong winds. The thunderstorms also caused delays in air traffic from Hong Kong.
According to the weather service, thunderstorms are expected to continue to characterize the area until Thursday.
Hong Kong has long been a self-governing special administrative region of China. In recent years, Beijing has strengthened its grip on the financial metropolis.