Hong Kong has issued its T3 typhoon warning for the second time within a week as Tropical Cyclone Toraji approached the territory, bringing occasional strong winds and showers.
The Strong Wind Signal, No. 3 was raised at 2.40 pm on Wednesday as Toraji’s outer rainbands began to affect Hong Kong, with the Hong Kong Observatory saying that it would remain in force until at least 11 pm.
“In the past few hours, Toraji maintained tropical storm intensity and edged closer to the coast of Guangdong steadily. Under its combined effect with the northeast monsoon, local winds are strengthening gradually,” the Observatory said on Wednesday afternoon.
“Winds offshore and on high ground will reach gale force tonight and tomorrow at first. Meanwhile, under the influence of the outer rainbands of Toraji, there will be more showers with squalls.”
According to the Observatory, Toraji is forecast to be closest to Hong Kong on Thursday morning an is expected to weaken.
The government forecaster said it would asses whether to raise a higher typhoon warning depending “on the degree of weakening of Toraji when it edges closer to the Pearl River Estuary, the distance of its associated gale winds from the Pearl River Estuary and the change of local wind conditions.”
Members of the public were advised to stay away from the shoreline and not engage in water sports. Authorities have this year made efforts to crack down on surfers during inclement weather, with two people “found to have committed the acts of illegal surfing during hoisting of red flags” at Big Wave Bay Beach on October 25.
Secretary for Security Chris Tang last month told the legislature that the Fire Services Department, police and Government Flying Service had been deployed to assist residents engaging in outdoor pursuits while an amber or black rainstorm warning or a T3 or above was in force 24 times between January 1 and September 30.
Three of those deployments were related to “immersion incidents,” while the remaining 21 involved mountain rescue.
Toraji was one of three storms affecting the region on Wednesday, with a fourth tropical cyclone developing in the Philippine Sea. While Hong Kong’s typhoon season lasts from May to November, the city is most likely to be impacted by tropical cyclones from July to September.
Experts have warned that the climate crisis will make typhoons more frequent and more destructive, and that long-term planning is needed to mitigate the impact of such extreme weather events, particularly for the most vulnerable.
The T3 warning came as environmental organisation Greenpeace released the findings of an in-depth study into perceptions of Hong Kong’s climate action plan. It found that while a majority of residents believe the government should take the lead in combatting the climate crisis, only 35 per cent trust the government to do so.
It also came as Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan was in Azerbaijan for the United Nations Climate Change Conference, more commonly known at COP29, where experts and world leaders meet with the intention of translating previous climate pledged into real-world outcomes.
Typhoon Signal 3
The No. 3 signal warns of strong winds affecting, or expected to affect, Hong Kong within 12 hours.
- Classes of kindergartens and schools for children with physical or intellectual disabilities will be suspended.
- Scheduled ferry services may be cancelled as conditions worsen. Bus and MTR services are not affected.
- Residents should secure loose objects like flower pots or drying racks, and prepare for possible flooding in low-lying areas.
Observatory signals currently in force
- Yellow Fire Danger Warning was issued at 06:00 HKT (4 Jan 2026)
Climate crisis
Tropical cyclones – which get their energy from warm ocean water – are strengthening and become ever more destructive because of warming seas. Over 90 per cent of excess heat in the atmosphere is ending up in oceans, according to NASA, as rising greenhouse gases prevent it from escaping to space.
