Typhoon Wipha: Hong Kong emerges with dozens hurt, travellers frustrated

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Hong Kong started getting back to normal on Sunday night after being battered by Typhoon Wipha which triggered the highest-level No 10 warning signal, bringing the city to a standstill, injuring dozens of people, toppling hundreds of trees and leaving tens of thousands of air travellers stranded.

A No 8 signal or above was in force for 19 hours on Sunday, including seven hours for the highest No 10 hurricane warning, before the Observatory downgraded it to No 3 at 7.40pm.

Throughout the day, 18 men and 15 women were injured and sought medical treatment at accident and emergency units. The number of injuries reached 86 when Super Typhoon Saola hit the city in 2023 and also caused a No 10 warning.

More than 270 people sought refuge at the government’s 34 temporary shelters. Over 700 reports of fallen trees were received by 8pm, with some leading to road closures and damaging vehicles parked underneath them.

All public transport was largely suspended until a gradual resumption in the late afternoon, while 500 flights were cancelled, leaving thousands of angry passengers stranded at the airport and the West Kowloon high-speed rail terminus.

An Indonesian traveller, who only gave her first name, Amy, said she had to spend more than 30 hours at Hong Kong’s airport to secure a new flight after hers to Bali at 10am on Sunday was cancelled.