Hong Kong tropical cyclone warning signals are issued by the Hong Kong Observatory to warn of a potential threat or effects of a tropical cyclone in the greater Hong Kong area. The signals are represented with a set of numbers and symbols. Previously, lights were also used at night.
The 1937 Great Hong Kong Typhoon was one of the deadliest typhoons in Hong Kong history, with a death toll estimated between 11,000 and 13,000. Part of the 1937 Pacific typhoon season, the tropical cyclone originated on 24 August to the south of Guam, which proceeded generally to the west-northwest. On 1 September the storm entered the South China Sea, and early the next day, the typhoon passed just south of Hong Kong before making landfall in southern China. It weakened after moving ashore, dissipating on 3 September.
Typhoon Fengshen, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Frank, was the sixth named storm and the fourth typhoon recognized by the Japan Meteorological Agency. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center recognized Fengshen as the seventh tropical depression, the sixth tropical storm, and fifth typhoon of the 2008 Pacific typhoon season.
Typhoon Nesat, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Pedring, was the most powerful tropical cyclone to directly impact China since 2005. It also struck the Philippines during the 2011 Pacific typhoon season, killing 98 people. It is the 17th named storm, the 11th severe tropical storm, the 7th typhoon and overall, the 30th tropical cyclone to be monitored by the Japan Meteorological Agency(JMA) during the year. Nesat came exactly two years after Typhoon Ketsana made landfall in the Philippines as the most devastating typhoon in the 2009 Pacific typhoon season with a damage of US$1.09 billion and 747 fatalities. Nesat was also the first of twin tropical cyclones to batter the Philippines within one week during September 2011, the second was Nalgae.
Typhoon Gordon, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Goring, was a powerful tropical cyclone that caused widespread damage and loss of life in the Philippines and Southern China in July 1989. Gordon developed into a tropical depression near the Northern Mariana Islands on July 9 and quickly intensified as it tracked west-southwestward. On July 13, the storm attained typhoon status and subsequently underwent a period of rapid intensification. By July 15, the storm attained its peak strength as a Category 5 equivalent super typhoon with winds estimated at 260 km/h (160 mph). After striking the northern Philippines, Gordon moved through the South China Sea and slowly weakened. On July 18, the storm made landfall in southern China and was last noted the following day as it dissipated over land.
Typhoon Vicente, known in the Philippines as Tropical Depression Ferdie, was the strongest tropical cyclone to strike the Chinese province of Guangdong since Hagupit in 2008, and was regarded as the strongest storm to affect Hong Kong and Macau in more than ten years. The eighth named storm and third typhoon of the 2012 Pacific typhoon season, Vicente began as a tropical depression on July 18, 2012 northeast of the Philippines. Vicente soon steadily moved into the South China Sea, and began to intensify above warm sea waters, and began explosive intensification early on July 23, and started to charge toward the Guangdong region prompting the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) to issue the Hurricane Signal, No. 10, the first since York in 1999. The Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau also hoisted Signal No. 9 for the first time since York and after the transfer of sovereignty over Macau. Late on the same day, Vicente made landfall over Taishan in Guangdong, China.
The 1874 Hong Kong Typhoon was the third-worst typhoon to ever hit Hong Kong, striking during the night of September 22, 1874 and the morning of September 23, 1874.
The 1908 Hong Kong Typhoon was a tropical cyclone which made landfall near Hong Kong on the night of 27 July 1908. The storm resulted in significant property damage and loss of life. The most notable occurrence of the event was the loss of the SS Ying King (英京號), a steamship, which sank while trying to seek shelter from the storm; 421 people on board drowned. About one thousand people were reported to have drowned, more than 20 houses collapsed, and many Hong Kong wharf facilities were damaged. As a result of the catastrophe, additional safety measures were undertaken, including the construction of a second typhoon shelter in Hong Kong harbour.
Typhoon Ellen, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Herming, was considered the worst typhoon to hit China since 1979. Typhoon Ellen was first noted as a tropical disturbance east of the International Date Line on August 26, 1983, and became a tropical storm soon after crossing the dateline on the morning of August 29. Initially, strong wind shear inhibited development over the next five days, and the cyclone began to track south of west. On September 2, conditions aloft finally improved and the cyclone strengthened into a typhoon on September 4 as it tracked west-northwest. Approaching Luzon late on September 5, Ellen intensified rapidly into a strong typhoon with winds of 200 km/h (125 mph) before interaction with Luzon began to weaken the cyclone. Its final landfall was at Portuguese Macau on the morning of September 9 as a minimal typhoon. The next day, Ellen ceased to exist.
Typhoon Sally, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Maring, was an intense tropical cyclone that caused widespread damage across southeastern Asia, particularly in China, in September 1996. Forming well east of the Philippines on 5 September, Sally quickly intensified as it tracked westward within favorable conditions. The system reached tropical storm intensity several hours after tropical cyclogenesis was completed, and strengthened further into typhoon intensity the following day. On 7 September, Sally reached super typhoon status shortly before attaining its peak intensity with maximum sustained winds of 260 km/h (160 mph) and a barometric pressure of 940 mbar. Quickly moving across the South China Sea, Sally substantially weakened but remained a strong typhoon before making its first landfall on the Leizhou Peninsula on 9 September. The tropical cyclone's trek brought it briefly over the Gulf of Tonkin before making a final landfall near the border of China and Vietnam. The typhoon rapidly deteriorated inland and dissipated later that day.
Typhoon Ruby, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Yoning, was a strong tropical cyclone that struck Hong Kong, Macau, and southern China in early September 1964. The precursor disturbance to Ruby was first identified on August 29 over the Philippine Sea, and this system organised into a tropical cyclone by September 1. Ruby intensified as it moved west, becoming a typhoon the next day and subsequently passing over the Babuyan Islands of the Philippines. After reaching the South China Sea, Ruby turned northwest and intensified further, attaining peak ten-minute sustained winds of 195 km/h (121 mph) before making landfall at the peak intensity near Hong Kong on September 5. The typhoon weakened after moving inland and dissipated on September 6 over southeastern China.
Typhoon Mary, also nicknamed "Bloody Mary" by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), was an extremely damaging storm that was part of the 1960 Pacific typhoon season. It began as a circulation in a trough in the South China Sea. A tropical depression formed on June 2, as it was traveling clockwise. It became a tropical storm on the next day, and received the name Mary. It slowly moved across the sea, strengthening to a typhoon. Mary made landfall in Hong Kong on June 8, and moved through Guangdong and Fujian. It reemerged back to the Pacific Ocean, and restrengthened into a typhoon temporarily. It then traveled east, weakening and becoming extratropical on June 12.
Severe Tropical Storm Linfa, known in the Philippines as Severe Tropical Storm Egay, was a tropical cyclone that affected the northern Philippines, Taiwan and southern China in early July 2015. The tenth named storm of the annual typhoon season, Linfa developed on July 1 over in the Philippine Sea. It moved erratically westward toward the Philippines, eventually striking the island of Luzon on July 4. Linfa weakened across the island, but reorganized over the South China Sea. It turned northward and strengthened to near typhoon intensity, or winds of 120 km/h (75 mph), but weakened as it curved to the northwest toward southern China. On July 9, the storm made landfall along the Chinese province of Guangdong, dissipating the next day west of Hong Kong.
Typhoon Dot was a strong tropical cyclone that made landfalls on Luzon and near Hong Kong in October 1964. It was the fifth typhoon to impact Hong Kong during the active 1964 Pacific typhoon season, and prompted the issuance of the No. 10 typhoon signal from the Royal Observatory in Hong Kong—the highest warning possible. The storm's precursor disturbance formed west of Pohnpei on October 3 and tracked towards the west, becoming a tropical storm by October 6. Gradually strengthening, Dot moved towards the west-northwest, northwest, and then curved west, leading to a landfall at typhoon intensity on Luzon on October 9. A freighter with 32 crewmembers went missing west of the island after passing through the typhoon and was never recovered.
Typhoon Hato, known in the Philippines as Severe Tropical Storm Isang, was a strong tropical cyclone that struck South China in August 2017. The thirteenth named storm and the fourth typhoon of the Pacific typhoon season, Hato formed as a tropical depression over the east of Luzon on 19 August. The system further developed and became a tropical storm the next day. On 21 August, Hato emerged over the northern portion of the South China Sea and reached typhoon intensity. Rapid intensification ensued on 23 August, and Hato became a Category 3-equivalent typhoon before making landfall over Jinwan, Zhuhai. The storm further weakened over land and dissipated on 24 August.
Typhoon Maggie, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Etang, was a large and powerful typhoon that affected the Philippines and southeast Asia. The sixth tropical cyclone and second typhoon of the 1999 Pacific typhoon season, Maggie developed from a monsoon trough over the Philippine Sea on June 1. Quickly intensifying to tropical storm strength the following day, Maggie followed a northward course as it continued to intensify, reaching typhoon strength at 18:00 UTC as it turned northwestward. Maggie rapidly intensified to reach its peak intensity as a Category 3 equivalent typhoon on June 5 as it passed through the Luzon Strait. The typhoon brushed Taiwan on June 6 and began to weaken, making landfall near Hong Kong as a minimal typhoon on June 7. Afterward, Maggie weakened to a tropical storm as it briefly moved offshore. The storm moved back onshore the following day and quickly weakened, degenerating into a remnant area of low pressure on June 8.
Typhoon Mangkhut, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Ompong, was a powerful and catastrophic Category 5 tropical cyclone that caused extensive damage in Guam, the Philippines, and South China in September 2018. It was the strongest typhoon to strike Luzon since Megi in 2010, and the strongest to make landfall anywhere in the Philippines since Meranti in 2016. Mangkhut was also the strongest typhoon to affect Hong Kong since Ellen in 1983.
SS Fatshan was a passenger ferry steamer which sank in stormy seas off Lantau Island during Typhoon Rose resulting in the loss of 88 lives.
SS Fatshan was a passenger ferry steamer operating on the Hong Kong-Canton Line between 1887 and 1933 when she was scrapped and replaced by her namesake, Fatshan (1933). Shortly before scrapping she was renamed Fatshan I.
Severe Tropical Storm York, also known in the Philippines as Tropical Depression Neneng, was a tropical cyclone that formed in September 1999. It brought severe impacts to the Philippines and southeastern China, causing 35 deaths. York is considered the worst tropical cyclone to hit Hong Kong since 1983. York was first noted as a tropical disturbance over the Philippine Sea on September 9, 1999, and became a tropical depression three days later on September 12. Initially, the intensity of the system was that of a weak tropical depression; however, it formed a new center while in the northern South China Sea west of Luzon soon after. York intensified into a tropical storm on September 13 and its track was erratic and remained stationary for a while, until it landfalled near Hong Kong as a minimal typhoon on September 16. York then weakened to a tropical storm and quickly degenerated into a remnant area of low pressure soon after on the following day.
