Gale force winds battered Hong Kong on Monday morning as Severe Tropical Storm Tapah came within 170 kilometres of the territory.

In an 8am update, the Hong Kong Observatory said while Tapah is expected to make landfall near Taishan in Guangdong shortly and then move inland away from the SAR, the T8 signal is expected to remain in force until 11am at the earliest.

"Depending on the degree of weakening of local winds, the observatory will then assess the time of issuing the Strong Wind Signal, No. 3," it said.

Classes of all day schools have been suspended, and if the T8 signal is cancelled before 5pm, classes of evening schools will resume on Monday night unless advised otherwise.

Sustained winds of 101 kilometres per hour were recorded at Ngong Ping early on Monday morning, with maximum gusts of up 151 km per hour. Cheung Chau, meanwhile, was buffeted by sustained winds of 99 km per hour.

But authorities have not reported any major damage, with no reports of landslides or flooding. as of 8am, 19 reports of fallen trees were received, while two men sought medical treatment at accident and emergency units of public hospitals during the storm period.

Tapah also brought heavy squally showers to the region, prompting the observatory to issue the Amber Rainstorm Warning Signal at 4.55am.

Forecasters are also warning that of possible flooding in low-lying areas, saying under the combined effect of the spring tide and a storm surge, water levels on Hong Kong’s western coast will rise higher than normal.

Air traffic are also being disrupted with several airlines announcing the cancellation of flights.

The Airport Authority said passengers should check with their airlines for the latest flight information before making their way to their airport. It said passengers should expect far longer waiting times for taxis.

The Airport Express is running at 10-minute intervals, but airport buses have been suspended amid the storm.

Other MTR lines will be operating at reduced intervals of between 10 to 20 minutes between trains.

But if the weather worsens, the rail company said train services on open sections of the heavy rail network and its Light Rail services could stop without advance notice.

Virtually all bus services are suspended.

Both KMB and Citybus say except for a few routes to the border and the airport, all day-time bus services won't be running during the T8 signal.

All ferry services - either to other cities or outlying islands locally have also been brought to a halt.

Many government services are suspended amid the storm, including various service units of the Social Welfare Department, immigration services and health clinics except for methadone clinics, which remain open.
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Last updated: 2025-09-08 HKT 09:09