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ClimateHong Kong

Typhoon Koinu brings floods to Hong Kong

October 9, 2023

The storm prompting authorities in Hong Kong to issue the highest rainstorm warning for the second time in a month. Koinu has now arrived in China's Guangdong province.

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A girl in China struggling with an umbrella amid strong winds
Typhoon Koinu is expected to weaken as it moves towards Guangdong's western coast and Hainan islandImage: Tyrone Siu/REUTERS

Many parts of Hong Kong saw flooding on Monday as Typhoon Koinu brought torrential rains during the night, forcing authorities to issue the highest level of alert for six hours.

It was the second time in a month the city's authorities had sent out a "black" rain warning — the highest in Hong Kong.

Most of the region saw more than 150 millimeters of rainfall in the early hours of Monday, and rainfall exceeded 300 millimeters over some parts of urban Hong Kong island, according to data.

Koinu was moving west-southwest at around 10 kilometers per hour (6 miles per hour) as it crossed the western coast of China's Guangdong province, Hong Kong's observatory said. The typhoon was downgraded at 10:30 a.m. local time (0230 GMT).

Typhoon Koinu reaches southern Taiwan

Koinu disrupts life in Hong Kong

Strong gusts of wind and a heavy downpour brought the city to a standstill, causing schools and the city's stock exchange to shut down.

There were no reports of major damage but the rainstorm and typhoon warnings disrupted operations at Hong Kong's international airport where hundreds of travelers were stranded.

Passengers waiting at an airport in Hong Kong
Travelers arriving in Hong Kong had to stay at the airport for several hours until receiving the all clearImage: Emily Wang/AP/dpa/picture alliance

Where is Koinu headed next?

Early Monday, the eye of the typhoon was located in Taishan city in China's populous Guangdong province, packing windspeeds of 28 meters (0.02 miles) per second, or around 100 kilometers per hour.

The cities of Zhuhai and Jiangmen in Guangdong issued a Level III emergency warning, according to the Xinhua news agency.

That meant more than 35,500 fishing boats had to return to port, while dozens of coastal scenic areas and schools were temporarily closed in the region.

After Guangdong, Koinu is expected to reach the eastern part of Hainan island in a weakened state.

How do tropical storms form?

mfi/nm (AFP, Reuters)