Typhoon Wipha slams Hong Kong: Hundreds of flights canceled, dozens affected

The disaster paralyzed the city: more than 400 flights were canceled, public transport was partially stopped, hundreds of trees were cut down, and infrastructure was damaged.

According to the local weather service, the storm warning level in Asia's financial center reached a 10-point maximum and lasted almost seven hours before being downgraded to level 8.

Within three hours, more than 110 mm of rain fell in the city, especially in the northern part bordering mainland China.

Local authorities reported that at least 26 people sought medical attention, and more than 250 people sought shelter in government centers.

At least 471 fallen trees were recorded in the city. One of the most dangerous incidents occurred in the North Point neighborhood, where scaffolding was blown off a residential building and scattered on the road.

Flight cancellations and transportation shutdown

Hong Kong Airport announced the cancellation of 400 flights, affecting more than 80,000 passengers.

Cathay Pacific canceled all flights from 5 am to 6 pm local time and allowed free rebooking of tickets.

Public transport in the city was partially out of service: ferry services were suspended due to strong waves, and some bus routes were suspended due to fallen trees and flooded roads.

The situation in the region

Typhoon Wipha continued to move towards the southern Chinese province of Guangdong and was forecast to reach the coast between the cities of Zhuhai and Zhanjiang in the evening.

Macau also declared the eighth level of storm danger, warning residents of possible flooding and urging them to stay at home.

As we reported earlier, at least 10 people have died in South Korea as a result of heavy rains and landslides that have been going on for four days, and nine more are missing.

Rescue operations in Sangcheon are ongoing. According to the fire service, at least 58 people have been evacuated, but the number of victims may increase.