Typhoon Wipha Hits Hong Kong And Southern China, Causes Widespread Disruptions

Last Updated:July 20, 2025, 23:10 IST

Typhoon Wipha toppled trees and caused major flight disruptions Sunday in Hong Kong and at some nearby airports in China as it moved west off the southern coast of the country..

A fallen tree due to winds from Typhoon Wipha is seen as people with umbrellas walk towards an underpass following the storm in Hong Kong on July 20, 2025. (AFP)

Typhoon Wipha toppled trees and caused major flight disruptions on Sunday in Hong Kong and at some nearby airports in China as it moved west off the southern coast of the country.

Airports in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, and Macao experienced significant disruptions due to the weather, with many flights cancelled or postponed throughout the day. According to reports, Hong Kong International Airport grounded at least 400 flights, impacting approximately 80,000 passengers. Additionally, some high-speed train services were suspended, further affecting travel plans, the news agency AP reported.

China’s National Meteorological Centre said that the typhoon stayed just offshore until about 6 pm, when it made landfall in a coastal area of Taishan city in Guangdong province. It then weakened to a severe tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 108 kph.

Earlier Sunday, the Hong Kong Observatory issued a hurricane signal No. 10, its highest warning. The eye of the storm passed just south of the city around midday with maximum sustained winds of 140 kph, the observatory said.

The high winds brought down trees in Zhuhai and other cities on China’s southern coast.

In Hong Kong, streets were littered with fallen branches, with vehicles navigating around the debris. The government reported over 450 incidents of fallen trees, and 26 people sought medical attention at public hospitals, though details on injuries were not provided.

More than 250 people had sought refuge in public shelters, the statement said. Hong Kong Disneyland and other amusement parks were closed.

The typhoon intensified overnight and moved past Macao, with forecasts indicating it would make landfall on China’s coast by Sunday evening before potentially reaching Vietnam later in the week.

Wipha, which is a Thai name, passed over the Philippines at tropical storm strength and drenched parts of Taiwan on Saturday. Names for typhoons in the western Pacific are chosen by the countries in the region.

In the Philippines, the storm intensified seasonal monsoon rains, leaving at least one villager dead in floodwaters in northern Cagayan province.

More than 3,70,000 people have been affected by days of stormy weather, including 43,000 who fled to government-run emergency shelters or homes of relatives because of flooding, landslides and fierce winds. According to the officials, more than 400 houses were damaged.

The government on Sunday said that elsewhere in Asia, five days of torrential rain in South Korea have left 14 people dead and 12 others missing.

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News world Typhoon Wipha Hits Hong Kong And Southern China, Causes Widespread Disruptions