The storm signal No. 8 has been downgraded as Severe Tropical Storm Ma-on moved away from the city and towards the coast of western Guangdong. The Hong Kong Observatory lowered the storm signal to the Strong Wing Signal No. 3 at 9:20 a.m. on Thursday.
The Observatory, however, warned the public to stay vigilant as there would still be occasional gale force winds offshore and the seas would be rough with swells. It advised people to stay away from the shoreline, and not to engage in water sports.
The T8 signal was up for around 14 hours from Wednesday night.
“Depending on the degree of weakening of local winds, the Observatory will consider issuing the Standby Signal No.1, or cancelling all tropical cyclone warning signals,” it said.
Transportation services resume
All four major bus companies announced on Thursday morning that services would resume from 9:30 a.m. The MTR also said the frequencies of train services would gradually increase to cope with passenger demand.
Ferry services resumed from 11 a.m.
A video sent to HKFP by a reader showed a long queue at a bus stop in Aberdeen at around 9:40 a.m., as Hongkongers scrambled to get to work after the storm signal was downgraded.
Afternoon classes back on
Afternoon classes of primary and secondary schools and classes of evening schools will resume today, the Education Bureau announced.
But classes at kindergartens, schools for children with disabilities, and morning section-only and whole-day schools were suspended.
Government services, including hospitals, would gradually return to normal.
Incident reports
The Home Affairs Department said it opened 31 temporary shelters in various districts and 141 people sought refuge. As of 9 a.m., there were four reports of fallen trees and one case of flooding. No reports of landslides were received by authorities.
As of 7:30 a.m., one person had been injured during the storm and was being treated at a public hospital, according to the Hospital Authority.
Typhoon Signal 3
The No. 3 signal warns of strong winds affecting, or expected to affect, Hong Kong within 12 hours.
- Classes of kindergartens and schools for children with physical or intellectual disabilities will be suspended.
- Scheduled ferry services may be cancelled as conditions worsen. Bus and MTR services are not affected.
- Residents should secure loose objects like flower pots or drying racks, and prepare for possible flooding in low-lying areas.
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