MOST OF US batten down the hatches and prepare for the onslaught when a typhoon warning is issued.
But when the warning reaches typhoon signal No3, a team of radar specialists from the Hong Kong Observatory begins its arduous duties.
Carrying a backpack filled with clothes and food, 48-year-old Fung Ching-biu, a radar specialist mechanic, heads for the Tai Mo Shan weather radar station, the highest mountain in Sai Kung, to ensure that all the equipment is in full working order. There are three weather radar stations in Hong Kong; the others are at Tate's Cairn and Tai Lam Chung.
After leaving the safety of his car, he struggles in the strong winds to walk to the weather station. It is a tough five-minute walk in strong cross-winds.
'If typhoon signal No3 continues or turns stronger, we have to stay here to make sure all the equipment is working properly. Sometimes me and my colleagues need to stay there overnight,' Mr Fung said.
The station houses valuable electronic equipment, including a wind speed detector and the all-important radar, which is protected by a large radome.
The main function of the weather radar station is to detect the wind speed and the amount of rain in the atmosphere, and it is critical that all equipment is checked on a regular basis to ensure it works. The station automatically sends the latest weather report to the Hong Kong Observatory, which alerts the public.