Typhoon stories of the Observatory's directors

6 December 2017

What could possibly be more attractive than the typhoon stories told by the Director of the Observatory? The answer is the typhoon stories told by five directors of the Observatory altogether! Director Shun Chi-ming and four ex-directors, Patrick Sham Pak, Lam Hung-kwan, Lam Chiu-ying and Lee Boon-ying, came together in a rare opportunity to share their anecdotes about typhoons over the decades.

Why are typhoon signals often referred to as "balls" in Chinese? Is "hoisting a signal" or "pulling a signal" a more accurate description? Why was it necessary to wear thick cotton jacket when issuing marine typhoon warnings, while tropical cyclones mostly affect Hong Kong during summer and autumn? In the past when technology was less advanced, how dangerous was it to "chase into the eye of storms" under heavy squally showers? What help could be sought to decide whether to upgrade a typhoon signal before morning rush hours when data over the ocean was incomplete?

Five directors of the Observatory share with us their collective memories of typhoons, from Wanda to Hato. (Programme in Cantonese only.)