‘Videos from Hong Kong’s 2025 rainstorm’ actually show downpour in 2023

Pedestrians brave the rain under a black rainstorm warning at Hill Road in Hong Kong’s Shek Tong Tsui, August 14, 2025. Photo: Karma Lo

With the rise of social media and generative AI, how much of what we see online is true? In this new series, SCMP Fact-Check, the Post investigates claims circulating online and debunks viral misinformation impacting the daily lives of Hongkongers.

As Hong Kong was battered by torrential rain in August, various clips circulated online misleadingly attributed to the extreme weather events.

One was a , uploaded on August 5, 2025, that appeared to show the flooded interior of an MTR station.

The words “Black rain storm in Hongkogn [sic] today” were superimposed on the video.

In a different published on the same day, showed a street at night partially submerged in water. It cited “black rain” as the cause.
The footage was shared online in the wake of an 11-hour black rainstorm warning that day, the second-longest in the city’s history.

SCMP Series

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