Typhoons are a fact of life in Hong Kong, with an average of six coming in from the western Pacific Ocean each year between June and October. The Hong Kong Observatory has been issuing tropical cyclone warnings since 1884, and was actually the world’s first marine meteorological service!
Visual signs for ship captains initially consisted of drums, balls and cones on a raised mast, plus a loud cannon for the local public. Over time, these signals have been simplified into T1 (standby), T3 (strong wind) and T8 for storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph.
For obvious safety reasons, when the T8 signal is hoisted, people are advised to return home and the city basically stops. Hong Kong’s deadliest typhoon was in 1937 with a sudden midnight storm surge killing an estimated 10,900 people, or 1% of the entire population.
Clearly, typhoons are no laughing matter, but we hope your T8 gear will keep you strong and comfortable in the toughest tropical conditions.
