Hong Kong is returning to normalcy after Typhoon Wipha, which prompted teh highest-level No. 10 warning signal, brought the city to a standstill, caused injuries, toppled numerous trees, and stranded tens of thousands of air travelers.
The No. 8 signal, or higher, was in effect for 19 hours on Sunday, including seven hours under the No. 10 hurricane warning. The Hong Kong Observatory lowered the warning to No. 3 at 7:40 p.m.
During the typhoon, 33 individuals, comprising 18 men and 15 women, sought medical attention at accident and emergency units. this figure is notably lower than the 86 injuries recorded when Super Typhoon Saola hit Hong kong in 2023,which also resulted in a No. 10 warning.
More than 270 people found refuge in the government’s 34 temporary shelters. By 8 p.m., authorities had received over 700 reports of fallen trees, some of which caused road closures and damaged parked vehicles.
Public transportation services were largely suspended for most of the day, with a gradual resumption beginning in the late afternoon. Approximately 500 flights were canceled, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at the airport and the West Kowloon high-speed rail terminus.
One Indonesian traveler, identified only as Amy, reported spending over 30 hours at Hong Kong’s airport to rebook her flight to Bali, which was originally scheduled for Sunday at 10 a.m.