The Hong Kong Observatory on Sunday cancelled its amber rainstorm alert at 3pm, more than three hours after first issuing the warning amid inclement weather expected to last until the middle of the week.

As strong winds and rain lashed the city, the amber warning was at one point raised to red before being lowered, with the forecaster urging residents to seek shelter.

The Observatory earlier said wind speeds reaching 100km/h (62mph) were recorded in Lau Fau Shan in the New Territories.

Amid the bad weather, the second gourmet marketplace under the city’s “Happy Hong Kong” campaign in Sha Tin temporarily closed at 1pm, before reopening at 4pm. The food fair was the final of a two-day event with free admission.

The red rainstorm signal means heavy rain exceeding 50 millimetres in an hour will persist, while the amber alert signifies rainfall of more than 30mm/h.

The conditions are a result of a trough of low pressure in southern China, which is expected to drift away from the city on Monday, according to the Observatory. However, the weather is expected to remain unsettled but showers will ease.

The Hong Kong skyline obscured by rain at the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront.

Cooler temperatures are expected in the next few days under the influence of a strong easterly airstream.

The weather would improve slightly midweek, the Observatory said.