Hong Kong activated its highest tropical cyclone warning on Sunday as Typhoon Wipha battered the region, forcing the cancellation of school classes and hundreds of flights. The Hong Kong Observatory issued a T10 hurricane alert, signalling sustained winds of 118 km/h or more, which pose a considerable threat to the city.
At 10am local time, the storm was located about 60km south-east of Hong Kong, with huge waves observed off the eastern coast of Hong Kong Island. The observatory warned of hurricane-force winds affecting southern parts of the territory due to the storm's eyewall, urging the public to beware of destructive winds.
China’s Hainan and Guangdong provinces were also placed on high alert, according to state news agency Xinhua. The typhoon, which intensified overnight, was heading toward Macau and the neighbouring city of Zhuhai, with forecast landfall expected late Sunday before moving west toward Vietnam later in the week.
A representative from Hong Kong’s airport authority reported approximately 500 flight cancellations due to the weather, with another 400 flights rescheduled. Hundreds of residents sought shelter at government-run temporary facilities, while one man sought emergency medical treatment at a public hospital. Officials received over a dozen reports of fallen trees.
All day schools and daycare centres suspended classes for Sunday. Local trains operated limited services, and open sections of the rail network were halted. The storm previously brought heavy rain and flooding to the Philippines, where two people were reported missing, according to the country’s national disaster council.
This marks the first time Hong Kong has issued a T10 warning since Super Typhoon Saola in 2023.
