Typhoon Wipha could have caused more damage if its trajectory had moved northwards and edged even closer to Hong Kong, two meteorological experts have said, calling it “pure luck” that the impact was not greater.
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A No 8 typhoon signal or above was in force for 19 hours on Sunday, including seven hours for the No 10 hurricane warning, before the Hong Kong Observatory downgraded it to No 3 at 7.40pm, and further lifted all signals at 5.10am on Monday.
Over 700 reports of fallen trees were received and at least 33 people were sent to public hospitals as Wipha battered Hong Kong on Sunday, triggering the highest No 10 hurricane warning for seven hours.
The toll was relatively mild compared with Super Typhoon Saola in 2023, which also triggered a No 10 warning. At least 86 people were sent to hospital during that storm, which also resulted in 1,545 fallen trees and two landslides.
Former Observatory director Lam Chiu-ying said Hong Kong was fortunate that Wipha did not have a greater impact on most residents, even though it reached hurricane levels of wind velocity on Sunday when the No 10 signal was issued.
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“If the typhoon track moved 10km (6 miles) to 20km northwards, the whole of the Victoria Harbour area would be affected by level 12 hurricane winds as many live on the two sides of the harbour,” Lam said. “It was pure luck. It would have been much worse.”
He said Wipha, a woman’s name in Thai meaning “splendour” or “radiance”, followed a “textbook” route of how typhoons typically moved, with a well-defined pattern that enabled earlier and more accurate predictions. Confidence in the forecast was boosted by the use of different models.