Macao witnessed a sharp rise in the frequency of storm warning signals between 1 January and 15 May this year, according to data from the Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (also known by its Portuguese acronym SMG). In total, 10 storm signals were issued, including 7 yellow warnings, 2 red warnings and 1 black warning.
This is significantly more than the totals recorded over the same period in the previous three years. In 2021, 2022 and 2023, the number of warnings issued amounted to only 3, 5 and 4 respectively.
The SMG said warm and humid conditions meant that there was an increase in the number of storms during the middle and latter part of April.
[See more: Macao has been hit by its first hailstorm in more than a decade]
The bureau also warned of rainfall this weekend due to the possible outbreak of a southwestern monsoon during this period.
Unstable weather is expected between Sunday and next Tuesday, with the SMG forecasting heavy rain and thunderstorms, as well as flooding in low-lying areas. It expects daily rainfall to reach 50 millimetres or higher.
Late last month, Macao experienced a hailstorm, the first time the city had recorded the phenomenon in over a decade.
