A man takes photos along the waterfront in Heng Fa Chuen, Hong Kong, on Wednesday. Photo: Winson WongTyphoon Kompasu left one person dead in a road accident and at least 20 others injured as it roared past Hong Kong on Wednesday, shutting down schools, businesses and the stock exchange, and triggering the longest No 8 warning signal in more than 40 years.
The Observatory downgraded the signal to No 3 at 4.40pm on Wednesday, and replaced it with the No 1 signal in the early hours of Thurday. At 6.20am on Thursday, the No 1 signal was cancelled.
A 31-year-old man died after losing control of his motorcycle and slamming into a lamp post in Shek O on southern Hong Kong Island on Tuesday night. He was rushed to hospital, where he was certified dead.
Schools suspended classes and stock market trading was cancelled for the day. The Legislative Council postponed its weekly council meeting to October 20, delaying the second reading of bills on the introduction of non-local doctors to the market and rent control for subdivided flats.
By late afternoon, buses and ferries were resuming limited services after facing disruptions throughout the typhoon.
Hong Kong could see more super typhoons and extreme weather
The No 8 warning signal, triggered when wind speeds of 63km/h to 117km/h are expected, was in effect for more than 23 hours before the Observatory lowered it, the longest period since Severe Tropical Storm Agnes in July 1978, according to records.
The storm caused minor flooding in some low-lying areas. In the village of Sam Ka Tsuen in Lei Yue Mun, residents reported water levels reaching at least knee-high. In some areas, storm water also clogged the sewage system and wastewater overflowed into the village.
There were also reports of seawater overflowing onto the waterfront promenade in Heng Fa Chuen, where some residents had ventured out despite warnings around midnight.
The waterfront housing estate, which is located on the east side of Hong Kong Island, is vulnerable to overtopping waves and flooding when typhoons approach the city.
Alan, a designer in his 40s, said he brought his two nine-year-old daughters and son to “feel the typhoon” at the waterfront.
“I assessed the situation at home before heading out, I think it is safe today … The wind is not that strong,” he said, adding he had taken his children to observe the aftermath of Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018.
In Sha Tin, the Shing Mun River flooded the riverside promenade and bicycle lanes, with water reportedly waist-high in pedestrian tunnels.