Taipa, Cotai hit by flooding after intense early morning rainfall

A map released by the SMG displays total accumulated rainfall in millimeters across districts

Heavy rainfall in the early hours of yesterday caused flooding across several areas, with Taipa and Cotai among the worst affected as rainfall exceeded 150 millimeters, according to the Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG). The two areas experienced a similar situation in mid-August last year.

According to information available on the website of the SMG, as of 1:15 p.m. yesterday, the Taipa Grande Meteorological Monitoring Station had recorded a total accumulated rainfall of 151.2 millimeters, with 142.6 mm falling between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m.

The intense rainfall, accompanied by thunderstorms, prompted the SMG to issue the Red Rainstorm Warning at 7:05 a.m., warning of possible flooding in low-lying areas.

As in mid-August last year, the areas of Rua do Porto, Rua da Ponte Negra, Avenida de Wai Long, Rua de Fernão Mendes Pinto, and the Rotunda Flor de Lotus in Cotai were among the most affected.

According to SMG, despite some temporary disruption, the highest recorded flood level was about 40 cm above road level. The flooding led to the temporary closure of Rua do Porto and Avenida de Wai Long to traffic for about 35 minutes.

At 1:15 p.m., a total of four different weather monitoring stations, including Taipa Grande, Avenida dos Jogos da Ásia Oriental (Ocean Gardens), the University of Macau campus, and Ká-Ho, had recorded accumulated rainfall of over 100 mm.

On the Peninsula, the highest reading was recorded at the Outer Harbor, at 95.8 mm, while the other stations recorded figures well below that level (50 to 60 mm).

According to the SMG, rainfall and thunderstorms are still expected today, although at lower intensity.

The bureau also said that from the middle to the latter part of the week, under the influence of an upper-level anticyclone, the weather will change, with rainfall subsiding and giving way to abundant sunshine and a significant increase in air temperatures.

The SMG also forecasts that, at the end of the week, a low-pressure system is expected to develop and move into the central and northern parts of the South China Sea. While it is not yet certain whether this system will develop into a tropical cyclone, such a development remains highly possible.

With the arrival of this low-pressure system, intense and frequent rainfall and strong winds are likely to return earlier next week.