Hong Kong returns to normality as Typhoon Koinu departs city, commuters brave heavy rain on their way to work

At 1pm, the Post observed residents had formed long queues to board trains bound for Admiralty on the East Rail line at Tai Wai station. Commuters had filled more than half of the space at the platform at one point.

Some commuters missed one to two trains as the carriages were packed, while others were seen running between platforms to catch a ride.

Typhoon Koinu: Hong Kong downgrades No 3 alert to No 1 as storm departs

Christy Lau, who was departing from Ma On Shan station, said she managed to transfer at Tai Wai and take the train to Admiralty at about 12.40pm, without a long wait.

“The trip has been quite smooth. I feel like there are fewer people and the trains come quite frequently,” the 28-year-old nurse said.

A hotel manager, who only gave the name Wong, was among commuters who left home early to avoid crowds. He said he was able to catch a train to Quarry Bay at 11.30am, despite being asked to return to the office by 1.40pm, two hours after the lowering of the No 8 alert.

“There will be more people once the typhoon signal is downgraded. I can use less time to commute,” Wong said, adding that Tai Wai as an interchange platform had more people than other stations.

“I think I will just start working when I arrive. I have a meeting in the afternoon.”

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An administrative worker at law firm, who only gave the surname Lau, said she woke up at about 7am to check the weather and decided to head to her office in Sheung Wan earlier.

“In my past experience, the platform was filled with people. I had to wait for several trains before managing to get on one,” the 50-year-old woman said.

Lau added that she was prepared to head back to work as the Observatory had issued prior notices on downgrading the typhoon warnings.

A clerk, who only gave the surname Wong, said he did not leave home early to head to work as the MTR service had returned to normal.

He said he had no complaints about the transport arrangements on Monday, but he felt that the No 9 warning signal, which came into force on Sunday with only 15 minutes’ prior notice, was sudden.

“The train service just halted all of a sudden on Sunday and it was the only available public transport. I was forced to walk back home,” Wong said. “It took me an hour to get home.”

He added that he was unable to catch a taxi as many people were trying to get one.

A spokesman for the Transport and Logistics Bureau on Monday said that traffic in the city was “generally smooth”, with public bus, railway and other means of transport gradually returning to normal.

“At present, although a few roads may experience minor flooding or fallen trees due to the typhoon, the traffic in various districts is generally smooth and the departments will continue to monitor the situation and take appropriate follow-up actions,” he said.

Transport services between Hong Kong and Macau also resumed, following the reopening of the two piers in Sheung Wan and Tsim Sha Tsui, alongside the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.

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Hong Kong Disneyland and the Hong Kong Palace Museum also reopened on Monday afternoon, with the former running limited operations.

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) also resumed trading at 2pm following its suspension on Monday morning.

The Home Affairs Department opened 29 temporary shelters across the city, with 294 people seeking refuge during the typhoon period.

There have been a total of 44 reports of fallen trees, two reported landslides and seven confirmed flooding cases as of 11.40am.

As of 10am, 29 people, comprising 16 men and 13 women, were injured during the typhoon and sought medical treatment at public hospitals, according to the Hospital Authority.