A man takes pictures against strong wind caused by Typhoon Hato at a housing area in Hong Kong. Photo / AP
A man takes pictures against strong wind caused by Typhoon Hato at a housing area in Hong Kong. Photo / AP
Typhoon Hato, a maximum category 10 storm, has slammed into Hong Kong and Macau with destructive winds and waves which uprooted trees, flooded streets and forced most businesses to close.
Three people have died and two gone missing in Macau, according to a Civil Defence Centre announcement reported by the South China Morning Post.
One of those killed was a 30-year-old man who was hit by a falling wall, the report said.
In Hong Kong more than 400 flights were cancelled, financial markets suspended and all schools were closed as Hato bore down on the city, the first category 10 storm to hit Hong Kong since typhoon Vicente in 2012.
It was later downgraded to a category 8 storm as it moved towards Guangdong province in China.
Typhoon Hato lashed the waterfront of Victoria Habour in Hong Kong. Photo / AP
A collapsed wooden wall caused by Typhoon Hato sits on a street in Hong Kong. Photo / AP
Big waves caused by Typhoon Hato crash over the waterfront of Victoria Habour in Hong Kong. Photo / AP
Many skyscrapers in the heart of Hong Kong were empty and in darkness as the city's workers stayed at home and hunkered through the storm.
Hato churned up Hong Kong's iconic Victoria Harbour and triggered large swells and massive waves on some of the city's most popular beaches, with serious flooding in low-lying areas.
In residential districts like Heng Fa Chuen on densely populated Hong Kong island, massive waves smashed against the sides of oceanfront buildings and surged over a promenade, swamping vehicles parked nearby.
Maximum winds near Hato's centre were recorded at a destructive 155km/h.
A senior scientific officer for the Hong Kong observatory said sea levels could rise up to 5m in some places, with the government issuing flood alerts and opening 27 temporary shelters across the city.
Winds intensified today, with the maximum sustained winds recorded at Tate's Cairn and Waglan Island at 77km/h and 72km/h, with maximum gusts of 103km/h and 86km/h respectively.
Trading in Hong Kong's financial markets was halted for the day because of Typhoon Hato. Photo / AP
Trading in Hong Kong's financial markets was halted for the day, the stock exchange said.
A total of 420 airline flights to and from Hong Kong had been cancelled, said the Government.
The city's flagship carrier, Cathay Pacific, said the storm would "severely" impact flight operations. Hong Kong Airlines also suspended most of its flights.
