5 of the worst typhoons in the history of Hong Kong, from Wanda to Mangkhut

Typhoon Wanda wreaked havoc on the city on August 27, 1962. Because of its destructiveness, it is one of the most well-known typhoons in the city’s history.

Wind gusts of more than 260km/h coincided with a high tide, resulting in a massive storm surge. Rain pelted the city, dumping 1,500 million gallons of water into Hong Kong’s reservoirs in less than 48 hours.

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Sign boards and wooden houses were demolished. The strong winds and high tide even flipped cars and destroyed fishing boats.

Flooding was reported in several areas, including Sha Tin, Tai Po and Sha Tau Kok farmlands. The number of casualties is unclear, with reports varying from 130 to 434, and around 72,000 people were left homeless.

Typhoon Rose made its way to Hong Kong on August 10, 1971. Although not as powerful as Wanda, Typhoon Rose packed winds of up to 165km/h and caused Hong Kong’s worst maritime disaster to date.

The 2,600-tonne Hong Kong – Macau ferry Fatshan had anchored in Ma Wan to shelter from the storm. However, the typhoon blew the ship towards Lantau, the winds driving the boat into two other vessels before it rolled onto its side. Only four of the boat’s crew members survived the accident; sadly, the remaining 88 died.

The typhoon caused a fire in a large power substation in Kwun Tong, leading to a blackout in Kowloon and the New Territories. Thousands of people were trapped in lifts during this power cut, and telephone cables also went out, leaving 30,000 people without phone service.

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Hitting Hong Kong in 1999, the unpredictable Typhoon York was the last No 10 of the 20th century. The No 10 signal lasted for 11 hours, which remains the record for the longest-ever No 10 signal raised.

More than 300 people were forced to flee their homes due to threats of landslides and flooding. The storm smashed more than 400 panes of glass on buildings in Wan Chai, including the Revenue Tower, Immigration Tower and Wan Chai Tower, and a nearby crane on a building on Jaffe Rd was blown down 30 storeys. According to the Observatory, two people died in the storm, and economic losses were reported to be several billion Hong Kong dollars.

The Observatory recorded an all-time high temperature of 36.6 degrees Celsius when Typhoon Hato hit Hong Kong in 2017. It was also the first time in five years that the No 10 signal was raised.

At least 129 people were injured during Hato, and 10 deaths were reported in Macau. The storm surge brought by Hato raised the city’s water level by about one to two metres, and severe flooding was reported in low-lying areas such as Heng Fa Chuen, Lei Yue Mun, and Tai O.

One person was injured by a falling clothes-hanging pole in Kwun Tong, while a suspended work platform at an apartment block in Hung Hom came loose and rammed into the windows of several units of the building.

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You might remember Typhoon Mangkhut since it is the most recent No 10 to affect Hong Kong, hitting the city on September 17, 2018. The super typhoon lasted 10 hours, one hour short of the record held by Typhoon York.

Mangkhut caused heavy rain, a storm surge and huge waves, flooding many areas. At least 458 people were injured in the storm. There were also over 60,000 reports of fallen trees, the highest number recorded. Flooding was serious in Tai O, Lei Yue Mun, and Tsang Tai Uk in Sha Tin, and many residents were evacuated. Seawater flowed into estates and underground car parks in Hung Fa Chuen and Tseung Kwan O, submerging a number of private vehicles.

The flooding and damage were so bad that some major roads and public transport routes were heavily congested or suspended the following day, including public bus services.