Typhoon Wipha has made landfall on the coast of Taishan city in China’s southern Guangdong province, state-run CCTV reported, after it pounded Hong Kong, disrupting hundreds of flights in the region.
After landfall at around 5:55pm (0955 GMT) on Sunday, Wipha weakened to the level of a severe tropical storm, with a maximum wind force of 30 metres per second, according to the CCTV report.
In Hong Kong, weather authorities lowered the typhoon signal to 8 from the maximum of 10, which had been hoisted for nearly seven hours, while more than 110mm (4 inches) of rain fell within three hours.
Much of the rain concentrated on the northern region neighbouring the mainland, the city’s observatory said, warning of more to come.
In a statement, the government said 26 people sought treatment in public hospitals, while 253 flocked to its shelters, and 471 fallen trees were reported.
In North Point near the Asian financial hub’s harbour, large swathes of scaffolding were swept off a residential building and onto the road.
A representative from Hong Kong’s Airport Authority on Sunday said about 500 flights have been cancelled, while 400 others are scheduled to take off or land later in the day, affecting nearly 80,000 travellers.
Cathay Pacific Airways cancelled all flights with Hong Kong airport between 5am and 6pm 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.
China’s Hainan and Guangdong provinces were also put on high alert, according to the state news agency Xinhua. The cities of Shenzhen, Zhuhai, and Macao cancelled or delayed all daytime flights on Sunday.
Authorities in neighbouring Macau, the world’s biggest gambling hub, also downgraded the typhoon signal to 8 from 10, warning of flooding in its inner harbour area and urging residents to stay safe, public broadcaster TDM said.
Hong Kong last hoisted the T10 warning signal for Super Typhoon Saola in 2023.
Wipha, which in Thai means “splendour”, also passed over the Philippines at tropical storm strength and drenched parts of Taiwan.
The typhoon also intensified seasonal monsoon rains in the Philippines, and two people have been reported missing, according to the country’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
More than 370,000 people in the Philippines were affected by days of stormy weather, including 43,000 who fled to government-run emergency shelters or homes of relatives due to flooding, landslides and fierce winds.
More than 400 houses were damaged in the onslaught, officials in the Philippines said.
