Typhoon Noul made its third-closest approach to Hong Kong this century on Sunday, triggering a No 9 warning signal and stranding about 2,000 passengers at the airport.
The storm came within 80km of the city, the closest since Super Typhoon Saola in 2023. It caused relatively minor damage despite violent winds rattling buildings overnight.
Noul made landfall near Huizhou in Guangdong at 3.50am on Sunday with maximum sustained winds of 45 metres per second. The Hong Kong Observatory issued the No 8 signal at 10.10pm on Saturday and upgraded it to No 9 at 1.10am on Sunday before lowering warnings throughout the day.
At Hong Kong International Airport, about 360 flights were cancelled on Sunday and 49 the previous day. The Airport Authority provided extra seats and food for stranded passengers while hotel rates rose to HK$2,000 to HK$3,000 per night.
The National Meteorological Centre issued its first red typhoon warning of the year on Saturday evening. The storm is projected to move northwest across central Guangdong before heading into Hunan province.
