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There have been 12 tropical cyclones in Hong Kong so far this year, causing the Hong Kong Observatory to issue tropical cyclone warning signals, breaking the record for the highest number of “waves” in a year since 1946. Leung Wing-wu, former assistant director of the Observatory and spokesman of the Hong Kong Meteorological Society, said that the consensus in the scientific community is that the number of typhoons will decrease in the future, but the proportion of severe typhoons will increase, or cause greater damage, including longer duration and more rainfall.
If Huagasa approaches further, serious damage may occur
Liang Rongwu pointed out in a radio program that the number of tropical cyclone warning signals is not an indicator. Although there are 12 warnings issued this year, they are mainly based on the No. 1 alert signal, and only a few bring danger. No one has died in the storm, as well as the No. 8 gale or storm signal and the two No. 10 hurricane signals. He pointed out that the scientific community agrees that under climate change, the number of typhoons will decrease, but the proportion of severe typhoons will increase, and the storm surges they cause will become more obvious, and flooding will inevitably intensify.
Super Typhoon Huagasa did not hit Hong Kong head-on last month and passed about 120 kilometers south of the Hong Kong Observatory. Liang Rongwu pointed out that if the eye of Huagasa approaches Hong Kong, the wind force will increase exponentially, and the damage caused will be more serious than that of “Mangkhut” passing 100 kilometers away and “Hato” passing 60 kilometers away. He mentioned that hotels and restaurants along the coast were damaged by surges at that time. He bluntly said that adhesive tape alone could no longer withstand the impact of surges and suggested adding wooden boards as a precaution.
The issuance of Signal No. 8 does not mean that the wind will reach gale force
In addition, when Huagasha hit Hong Kong, a family of four were watching the waves on the shore. Two of them were swept into the sea, and a child was also taken to the beach in danger. Liang Rongwu does not completely oppose citizens feeling the power of nature, but safety must be the first premise. They must be aware of dangers, conduct risk assessments, and stay away from dangerous places such as the shore. He also said that the Observatory has issued Signal No. 8 warnings earlier and earlier in recent years, but some citizens misunderstood that the winds were not strong enough when the signal first came into effect. He explained that the moment the signal was issued did not mean that the winds would reach gale strength immediately. The early warning only gave citizens enough time to prepare. He called on the public to refer to the official information of the Observatory.
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The original article was published on AM730
