Some love it, others hate it as Typhoon Haima passes Hong Kong
Friday saw flight cancellations, heavy rain, fallen trees and the suspension of business activities and classes across the city
Haima prompted the issuing of typhoon signal No 8, which turned Friday into a day off with flight cancellations, heavy rain, fallen trees and the suspension of business activities and classes across the city. The typhoon made landfall in Shanwei in eastern Guangdong province on Friday afternoon.
Watch: Typhoon Haima brings traffic to a standstill
Visitor Alfred Happenhofer, who was heading home to Vienna after a business trip to the city, travelled to Hong Kong International Airport even though he knew his 1pm flight had been cancelled.
“The airline emailed me to say my flight would be delayed to 14 hours later,” Happenhofer said, adding that he had been to Hong Kong multiple times but had never experienced a typhoon.
“I guess I will be staying here to work on my laptop. It will be quite boring, but there is nothing you can do against the wind.”
To storm chasers, the typhoon not only meant a bonus day off, but an occasion to watch rough waves, despite Observatory warnings that people should stay away from the shoreline and not engage in water sports.