This article was first published on October 15, 1975.
Direct hit – but Elsie’s harmless
Hong Kong on Wednesday (October 15, 1975) began to mop up after Typhoon Elsie scored a near-direct hit on the colony with winds gusting up to 113mph (182km/h).
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At dawn on Wednesday, Royal Navy boats, army helicopters and marine police launches were to begin a sweep of outlying areas to see where help was needed.
But at 3am, it appeared that little help was needed anywhere in Hong Kong.
The colony had escaped without loss of life or serious property damage after the first No 10 signal in four years had been hoisted.
Typhoon Elsie crossed the south China coast 60 miles west of Hong Kong about 10pm Tuesday night (October 14), after battering Hong Kong for most of the day.
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The storm was expected to weaken rapidly over land – although strong winds and rain will continue on Wednesday, Royal Observatory spokesmen said.