Authorities, outdoor organisations and rescue groups point out soil instability on trails in the wake of recent black rainstorm in the city

Hong Kong authorities have urged the public to avoid hiking and stay away from streams and large trees in the coming days, following recent record-breaking downpours that have heightened the risk of landslides and flash floods.

The warning came after the city’s second-longest black rainstorm warning, which lasted for more than 11 hours on Tuesday. Experts also cautioned on Friday that the extent of soil instability was difficult to predict and that a landslide could be as sudden and powerful as an avalanche.

The city recently issued four black rainstorm warnings in eight days, breaking the record for the most black rain alerts in a single year. On Tuesday, the Observatory recorded a staggering 358.8mm (14.1 inches) of rainfall at its headquarters, the highest daily rainfall in August since records began in 1884.

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