Typhoon Wipha has made landfall in southern China after battering Hong Kong, where the island cancelled hundreds of flights amid heavy winds and rain.
Wipha has reached China’s Guangdong province, where it has been downgraded to a tropical storm. Hong Kong issued its highest tropical cyclone warning yesterday, reporting winds of more than 167 kilometres per hour.
"As Typhoon Wipha is moving away from Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Observatory issued the Strong Wind Signal No. 3 at 7.40pm today (July 20). It replaced the No. 8 Southeast Gale or Storm Signal at 4.10pm today,” Hong Kong’s government wrote on Sunday evening.
“According to the Hospital Authority, as at 7.40pm today, 33 people (18 men and 15 women) have been injured during the typhoon period and received medical treatment at the Accident and Emergency Department of public hospitals.”
More than 110 millimetres of rain fell within three hours on Sunday while Wipha remained near Hong Kong’s shores. The Hong Kong Observatory issued a No. 10 hurricane signal on Sunday, at its maximum level, before lowering warnings to No. 8 and then No. 3.
The island’s government said it had confirmed seven cases of flooding. It has opened 34 temporary shelters, with 277 people taking refuge.
Hong Kong International Airport saw 441 flights delayed and 294 cancelled on Sunday, with 276 delays and 99 cancellations so far today. This affected around 80,000 passengers, said Hong Kong broadcaster RTHK.
Airports in Shenzhen, Zhuhai, and Macao also cancelled flights on Sunday.
Wipha is set to reach Vietnam later this week. It previously passed over the Philippines and Taiwan as a tropical storm.
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