Typhoon Hato wreaks havoc in Hong Kong, three killed in Macau

Typhoon Hato, a maximum category 10 storm, slammed into Hong Kong on Wednesday, lashing the financial hub with wind and rain that uprooted trees and forced most businesses to close.

There were reports of 34 people injured in Hong Kong, while three people were killed in Macau, authorities there said.

In Hong Kong, more than 450 flights were cancelled and schools closed as Hato bore down, the first category 10 storm to hit the city since 2012.

Hato, meaning “sky pigeon” in Japanese, churned up Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour and triggered large swells and big waves on some of the city’s most popular beaches.

In residential districts such as Heng Fa Chuen on densely populated Hong Kong island, waves smashed against the sides of oceanfront buildings and surged over a promenade, sweeping away walls and benches and swamping vehicles.

Construction cranes swayed on top of skyscrapers, windows imploded and trees were uprooted, while some people used canoes to venture out.

Authorities downgraded the storm to a category three by afternoon with government services, the courts, financial markets and companies set to resume normal business on Thursday.

The storm also made landfall in China’s Guangdong province, in Zhuhai city adjacent to Macau, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported. REUTERS