Days of relentless rain in Hong Kong set off major floods on Tuesday that swept cars away, inundated a hospital emergency ward and left buses stranded. Roads winding down the city’s steep hills turned into rivers.

       Even for Hong Kong, a city accustomed to seasonal typhoons, the record-breaking deluge has pushed it to its limits, straining city services and testing the patience and wits of its residents.

       On Tuesday morning, the authorities issued their highest rain alert for the fourth time in eight days. The “black rainstorm warning” means an expectation of 70 millimeters, or about 2.8 inches, or more of rainfall in one hour. On Tuesday, Hong Kong had recorded 14 inches of rain by midafternoon, the highest daily amount for August since annual records began in 1884.

       Subscribe to The Times to read as many articles as you like.