Hong Kong Observatory’s weather updates do not inspire confidence for typhoon season

All the highly paid, and I assume highly educated and trained, scientists at the Observatory had to do was look out of the window where it was not “mainly cloudy” with “occasional” showers and “isolated” thunderstorms at 1pm. Instead, we experienced some of the heaviest rain we have seen since Typhoon Mangkhut.

I sent tourists to Stanley Market late that morning based on the Observatory’s forecast, where they had their worst day in Hong Kong. All around Central, people without umbrellas were trapped in coffee shops and restaurants for ages, unable to get back to work without being drenched.

Watch: How Hong Kong gets typhoon warnings

I am certain the Observatory’s response will be something very scientific about “unpredictable weather patterns”, and so on. But nothing can defend their 1pm “update” as the skies opened all around Hong Kong from around 12 noon.

Does the Observatory actually have any windows? Perhaps not, but this does not bode well for future typhoons.

Mike Bentley, Central