Stock market closed, No 8 warning signal to remain until 4pm as Typhoon Kompasu lashes Hong Kong with heavy rain
- Schools and government services suspended as Kompasu, upgraded to a typhoon, comes within 360km to the south of the city on Wednesday morning
- Seven injured during the storm and one person has died, according to the Hospital Authority
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Trading on Hong Kong’s stock market was cancelled and schools and government services were suspended on Wednesday as a No 8 storm warning for Typhoon Kompasu plunged the city into shutdown mode amid heavy rain and gusty winds.
As of 10am, Kompasu was centred about 390km south-southwest of the city, but winds were forecast to gradually diminish over the afternoon, according to the Hong Kong Observatory.
Overnight, the storm – upgraded to typhoon status at 5.45am – caused minor flooding in some low-lying areas, with reports of at least 35 fallen trees, according to a government spokesman.
Seven people had been injured during the storm as of 10.45am, the Hospital Authority reported separately, with one fatality.
In the village of Sam Ka Tsuen in Lei Yue Mun residents reported water levels reaching at least knee-high.
There were also reports of seawater overflowing onto the waterfront promenade in Heng Fa Chuen on Hong Kong Island, where some residents had ventured out despite warnings around midnight. People were also spotted strolling along the promenade in Kennedy Town.