First typhoon of the year draws storm chasers in TST

The first typhoon to hit Hong Kong this year attracted a crowd of storm chasers at the Star Ferry Pier in Tsim Sha Tsui, despite warnings from authorities to stay away from the shoreline.

The Typhoon Signal No. 9 was in force for six hours in the early hours of Sunday before being downdraged to a T8 at 7.10am.

Some visitors from Shenzhen took videos amid the heavy rain and gusty winds at the exposed harbourfront.

They told RTHK that they specifically travelled to Hong Kong to experience the storm.

A few local residents were also seen fishing near the pier.

A group of newspaper delivery workers, meanwhile, sorted newspapers before cycling off to deliver them.

“I started doing this job nearly 50 years ago. I was still on the streets even during the strongest Typhoon Signal No. 10. Up until now, I’ve basically never missed a single T10. If we wait until the storm signal is lowered before delivering, we won't be able to get them out in time. We have to head out during a T8 and get everything delivered,” one man said.

At Heng Fa Chuen — a private coastal estate in Chai Wan prone to storm surges — the Leisure and Cultural Services Department set up flood barriers to keep sea water away from the residential area.

Some residents taped up their glass windows at home, while others took advantage of the relatively mild winds on Saturday night to go out for a quick walk.

"Seeing that the wind wasn't so strong, I came out to take a look. I am heading back upstairs soon. I live further inland, so it's not a big issue — everything's fine. Basically, we just taped up the windows. Heng Fa Chuen has been upgraded now with a lot of flood barriers to block the water from splashing in, so the lifts inside won't get flooded," a resident said.

Edited by Tony Sabine ...