Some 150 people trapped in lifts during Hong Kong storm

Emergency services received more than 150 reports of people trapped in lifts across Hong Kong, as storms battered much of southeast China.

The electricity company, CLP Power, told the South China Morning Post that there was a split second voltage dip in the network during the storm.

A dip can cause lights to flicker, but it can trigger the safety mechanism of more sensitive electrical equipment such as lifts.

Also during the storms, one hiker on the Maclehose Trail was struck by lightning.

The storms over Hong Kong are part of a weather system that is affecting many parts of southeast China.

Torrential rain in the Hunan province triggered a landslide, trapping 46 residents.

According to CCTV, some residents of a two-story building in Lourdi city didn’t have time to escape, as the rocks and debris poured down the mountainside.

The downpours also affected the neighbouring province of Guizhou. Some 47mm of rain fell in just one hour in Dushan County, bringing traffic to a standstill and triggering a number of blackouts.

One resident claimed that the accompanying hailstones were the size of eggs.

The recent storms were well ahead of the seasonal monsoon rains which usually start across the region in May.

However, a recent study by Tufts University in Massachusetts, found that China is experiencing longer monsoon seasons and heavier daily rainfall totals, due to the impact of climate change.

It is not possible to determine whether the current storms are due to the world’s changing climate, but Al Jazeera’s meteorologist, Steff Gaulter, tells us that more heavy rain is expected across the region over the next few days.