Hong Kong
Reuters
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Rain from Typhoon Wipha knocked over Hong Kong on Sunday. A storm landed southward on the coast of China’s Guangdong province, leaving behind fallen trees and scaffolding, evacuating more than 200 people to temporary shelters.
Hong Kong weather authorities downgraded the typhoon warning to No. 3 strong wind signal at 7:45pm
Just after 4pm, they lowered the typhoon signal at Asian financial hubs from a maximum of 10 to eight.
“Compared to previous typhoons like Mangkhut and Hato, which caused more surprising destruction, the impact this time was mainly limited to fallen trees and the scaffolding collapsed,” Eastern District Councillor Kenny Yuen told Reuters.
He was speaking in front of a collapsed bamboo scaffolding that had fallen from the residential lot under renovations at North Point near the town’s port.
As the storm passed through Hong Kong, rain over 110 mm (4 inches) decreased within three hours, with the maximum wind gusts exceeding 167 kph (103 mph) at one point.
Much of the rain was concentrated in the northern regions adjacent to the mainland, the city’s observatory said.
In a statement, the government said 26 people had sought treatment at public hospitals during the typhoon, but 253 people flocked to shelters and 471 fallen trees were reported.
Wipha moved westward and landed on the coast of Taishan City in Guangdong at about 5:50pm, then weakened to a serious tropical storm, China’s state-run CCTV reported.
Authorities in neighboring Macau, the world’s largest gambling hub, have also downgraded typhoon signals from 10 to 8, warning of flooding in the port area inside it, urging residents to stay safe, according to public broadcaster TDM.
Hong Kong’s Airports Authority said 80,000 travelers have been hit by a rescheduling of 400 flights forced by the typhoon.
Cathay Pacific Airways has cancelled all flights at Hong Kong Airport on Sunday from 5am to 6pm. Ticket change fees have been exempt and re-orders have been arranged.
Most public transport in Hong Kong has been suspended, including ferries in high seas swelling.
