Source: The Straits Times
Date: 2nd September 2025

Schools closed, businesses suspended, and transport disrupted as the storm edges past the city.

Hong Kong implemented widespread closures on September 8 as Tropical Storm Tapah passed within 170km of the city, bringing strong winds and heavy rain. Schools were closed for the day, many businesses suspended operations, and flights were cancelled as precautionary measures.

Despite the disruption, damage was minimal in the early hours, with calm streets and no reports of landslides or severe flooding.

Public transportation across the city faced major interruptions, with ferries, buses, and trams halted. The mass transit railway continued running but at longer intervals.

The city’s observatory kept its Typhoon 8 warning signal in effect through the morning, while authorities also issued an Amber rainstorm signal, the lowest of its three-tier system. Winds reached sustained speeds of over 100 km/h near the international airport, with maximum gusts recorded at 151 km/h.

The storm made landfall in Taishan, southern Guangdong province, shortly after 8:30 a.m., and forecasters expect it to gradually move away from Hong Kong.

Neighbouring Shenzhen also closed schools as a precaution. While the immediate impacts were contained, the event underscored the region’s vulnerability to severe weather during peak typhoon season.