Typhoon rains batter Hong Kong before Wipha weakens to severe tropical storm in Guangdong

Rains from Typhoon Wipha pounded Hong Kong on Sunday as the storm skirted southwards before making landfall on the coast of China’s Guangdong province, leaving fallen trees and scaffolding and sending over 200 people to seek refuge at temporary shelters.

Hong Kong’s weather authorities downgraded the typhoon warning to a No. 3 strong wind signal at 7:45 p.m.

Just after 4 p.m., they had lowered the typhoon signal in the Asian financial hub to 8 from the maximum of 10, which had been hoisted for nearly seven hours.

“Compared to previous typhoons like Mangkhut and Hato, which caused much more astonishing destruction, the impact this time was primarily limited to fallen trees and collapsed scaffolding,” Eastern District councilor Kenny Yuen told Reuters.

He was speaking in front of collapsed bamboo scaffolding that had fallen from a residential compound under renovation in North Point near the city’s harbor and been swept onto the road.

Dark clouds gather and rough seas are seen in Victoria harbor in Hong Kong and the typhoon signal number 10 is hoisted as Typhoon Wipha moves in on July 20, 2025.

As the storm passed Hong Kong, more than 110 mm (4 inches) of rain fell within three hours and maximum wind gusts had exceeded 167 kph (103 mph) at some points.

Much of the rain concentrated on the northern region neighboring the mainland, the city’s observatory said.

In a statement, the government said 26 people sought treatment in public hospitals during the typhoon, while 253 flocked to its shelters, and 471 fallen trees were reported.

Wipha moved westward and made landfall on the coast of Taishan city in Guangdong at around 5:50 p.m., and then weakened to a severe tropical storm, China’s state-run CCTV reported.

Authorities in neighboring Macau, the world’s biggest gambling hub, also downgraded the typhoon signal to 8 from 10, warning of flooding in its inner harbor area and urging residents to stay safe, public broadcaster TDM said.

Hong Kong’s airport authority said 80,000 travelers were hit by the rescheduling of 400 flights forced by the typhoon.

Cathay Pacific Airways canceled all flights with Hong Kong airport between 5 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Sunday. It waived ticket-change fees and arranged for rebooking.

Most public transport in Hong Kong was suspended, including ferries amid high sea swells.

A crowd of outbound passengers wait in line to check-in as flights resume at the Hong Kong International Airport, as Typhoon Wipha moves away from the city.