Typhoon Noul struck Hong Kong, and the Observatory issued the No. 9 Gale or Storm Signal at 1:10 am today (July 26) — the first No. 9 signal of the year. At 7:10 am, the Observatory downgraded to the No. 8 signal, marking a six-hour duration for the year's first No. 9 typhoon signal. Noul brought heavy rain and strong winds to many parts of the city this morning, with residents complaining that they "absolutely dare not sleep at all." Some even expressed confusion over the Observatory's downgrade: "I thought it had gone up to No. 10! Then I looked and saw it had dropped back to No. 8!" However, the downpour was uneven, with some residents noting "not a drop of rain here."
The Observatory issued the No. 9 signal at around 1 am, and netizens from various districts reported that the wind and rain intensified sharply around 3 am, making it impossible to sleep. One netizen joked, "I only saw your post and realised it was already daylight — it's been noisy since 4 am and I couldn't sleep." Many expressed fears of windows shattering: "The noise kept me up all night — the wind was so strong I thought the glass was about to break." One person even said, "I got so scared I went down to the lobby to sit."
Netizens from the New Territories reported particularly severe conditions, with one from Tai Po saying the wind was so strong that sharp whistling sounds kept ringing outside the window all night. A Sha Tin resident reported that it was noisy throughout the entire night. In Sheung Shui, one person said they did not sleep at all as water came in through the windows, while a Tin Shui Wai resident was woken by the wind at 3 am and could not get back to sleep amid the constant banging and howling. Similar experiences were reported from Ma Wan and Yuen Long, where the wind was said to be even stronger than earlier in the morning. One resident from the Northwest Territories noted that while typhoons usually pass them by, this time they truly felt the full force, and even after the signal was lowered to No. 8, the wind seemed stronger than when it was No. 9.
However, the storm was far from uniform across the city. Some netizens on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon reported calm conditions, with one from Eastern Hong Kong Island saying it was actually peaceful. Others noted that the rain had all gone to the Northwest Territories and Tai Po, leaving Kowloon unscathed. A resident of Tiu Keng Leng described the area as very quiet, while another observed how differently the storm was affecting Kowloon and the New Territories. When New Territories residents called for an upgrade to the signal, Hong Kong Island and Kowloon netizens responded that since nowhere had recorded hurricane-force winds, a No. 10 signal was unnecessary, and some even pointed out that while others were experiencing strong winds, there was no wind at all where they were.
Tai Po:
Northwest District:
Kwai Chung:
Related News:
Typhoon Noul | Gradually moving away, HKO to issue Signal No. 3 at 12:40 pm
Typhoon Noul | HKO: Hail possible in HK within next one to two hours
Comment