Hong Kong’s Biggest Storms in History
As Typhoon Ragasa bears down on Hong Kong, the city steels itself for yet another battle with the elements. For more than a century, tropical cyclones have tested the city’s resilience with devastating winds, torrential rain, and deadly storm surges. Some storms left behind broken glass and fallen trees; others scarred entire generations. Each has added to Hong Kong’s storm lore—and taught vital lessons in survival.
The Great Typhoon of 1937
Date: September 2, 1937
Signal: No. 10 (highest at the time)
Peak Winds: Estimated >200 km/h
Rainfall: Not fully recorded
Fatalities: Over 11,000
The deadliest storm in Hong Kong’s history struck overnight, when most residents were unprepared. A massive storm surge coinciding with high tide engulfed coastal villages, with sea levels surging metres above normal. Entire communities were swept away. The Great Typhoon remains a haunting reminder of how storm surges, not winds, often claim the most lives.
Typhoon Mary (“Bloody Mary”), 1960
Date: June 8, 1960
Signal: No. 10
Peak Winds: Gusts up to 230 km/h
Rainfall: Over 200 mm in 24 hours
Fatalities: ~1,600
Mary was both violent and tragic. Landslides ripped through rural districts, while thousands of poorly built huts collapsed under the combined force of wind and rain. Refugee communities living on hillsides were hit the hardest. The high death toll gave Mary the grim nickname “Bloody Mary,” and it marked one of the darkest chapters in Hong Kong’s storm history.
Typhoon Wanda, 1962
Date: September 1, 1962
Signal: No. 10
Peak Winds: Gusts up to 259 km/h at Tate’s Cairn
Rainfall: 300 mm in 24 hours
Fatalities: ~434
Wanda’s ferocious winds snapped power lines, ripped apart thousands of wooden homes, and left more than 70,000 people homeless. But its most destructive weapon was water: a storm surge up to five metres high swept into Tolo Harbour, overwhelming coastal areas. Wanda became the benchmark for storm surges in Hong Kong and remains one of the most studied typhoons in the region’s history.
Typhoon Ellen, 1983
Date: September 9, 1983
Signal: No. 10
Peak Winds: Gusts >220 km/h on high ground
Rainfall: 231.8 mm at the Observatory
Fatalities: 10
Ellen lashed Hong Kong with relentless rain and high winds, paralysing transport and battering ships in Victoria Harbour. The storm tested the city’s new building codes, introduced after earlier disasters, and while damage was extensive, fatalities were far lower than in earlier decades.
Typhoon Hato, 2017
Date: August 23, 2017
Signal: No. 10 (first since 2012)
Peak Winds: 185 km/h gusts recorded at Waglan Island
Rainfall: 150 mm in parts of Hong Kong
Fatalities: 10 in Hong Kong and Macau
Hato struck with alarming intensity. Though its centre passed just west of Hong Kong, the storm brought widespread flooding and severe winds. Victoria Harbour rose by almost two metres, flooding sections of the waterfront. The storm paralysed public transport, tore apart scaffolding, and left shattered glass across business districts. Macau fared even worse, suffering its worst storm in half a century.
Typhoon Mangkhut, 2018
Date: September 16, 2018
Signal: No. 10 (in force for 10 hours)
Peak Winds: Sustained winds >195 km/h; gusts >250 km/h
Rainfall: 200–300 mm in many areas
Fatalities: No direct deaths in Hong Kong (though widespread injuries and damage)
Mangkhut remains the strongest storm to strike Hong Kong in recent decades. Skyscrapers swayed under the force of the wind, windows shattered in high-rises, and more than 60,000 trees were felled. Record storm surges inundated low-lying districts, while transport links shut down. Thanks to early warnings and modern preparedness, the city avoided a death toll—but the storm inflicted billions in damage.
Haikui’s Black Rain, 2023
Date: September 7–8, 2023
Signal: No. 8 (downgraded as it weakened, but remnants remained)
Peak Winds: Much weaker, but rainfall was record-breaking
Rainfall: 641 mm in two days—the heaviest since records began in 1884
Fatalities: At least 2
The remnants of Haikui demonstrated that wind isn’t the only killer. Torrential rain triggered flash floods that submerged roads, filled underground malls, and caused landslides. The storm broke the record for Hong Kong’s wettest tropical cyclone on record, underscoring the growing role of extreme rainfall in the age of climate change.
The Lessons of History
Looking back, Hong Kong’s most destructive storms share common traits:
Storm surge at high tide—1937, Wanda, Mangkhut, and Hato all showed how deadly rising seas can be.
Ferocious winds—Mangkhut, Ellen, and Wanda proved that even skyscraper cities aren’t immune to structural damage.
Torrential rain—Mary and Haikui showed that floods and landslides can kill as effectively as wind.
Preparedness saves lives—death tolls have fallen dramatically since the 1960s, thanks to better forecasting, stronger building codes, and public awareness.
Facing Ragasa
Whether Ragasa joins this roll call of legendary storms depends on its track, timing, and intensity. If it coincides with high tide, surges could threaten waterfront areas. If it lingers, rainfall could trigger floods and landslides. And if its winds rival Mangkhut’s, Hong Kong will once again feel the full force of nature.
But one thing is certain: Hong Kong has faced the wrath of typhoons before—and each storm has made the city more resilient, more prepared, and more determined to endure.
