bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

additionalInfoBoxes

quizIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Harvey Kong

Ng Kang-chung

While the hurricane-force winds and torrential rains of Typhoon Wipha battered Hong Kong on Sunday, some continued to work, and many restaurants remained open, supported by limited rail services.
Among the restaurants that operated as usual was Chung Kee congee shop in Whampoa, as the operator said it did not expect the typhoon would escalate to a No 10 level.
“Originally, we thought it would be just a No 8 typhoon signal. We are close to an MTR station, so we thought we would open and see what the situation would be like,” operator Kathy Lam said.
Lam added that staff had taped up the windows of the store, but she said she had modest expectations about the day’s earnings.
Another restaurant in Whampoa, Cafe No 9, also stayed open during the typhoon, but operator Angel Lai said business was only “so-so”.
“It could be because of the typhoon warning signal No 10, so people are not willing to go out,” she said.
She added that the cafe served around 100 customers in the morning and planned to operate until 10pm. Lai confirmed they neither increased prices nor offered discounts to attract business.
Most major fast food chains made adjustments while largely remaining operational.

McDonald’s outlets were mostly open, with exceptions including branches at Happy Valley Racecourse, Ocean Park, Kowloon Park, and remote locations such as Mui Wo and Discovery Bay.
Similarly, most Cafe de Coral and Fairwood branches operated as usual, but Maxim’s MX and Maxims Food² branches remained closed.
For KFC, in-store dining and self-pickup services continued, but customers were advised to check with individual outlets for the latest opening status throughout the day due to the rapidly changing weather.
Meanwhile, the two major food delivery platforms, Keeta and Foodpanda, suspended their services. Foodpanda said services would resume only when the typhoon warning was downgraded to a No 3 signal, as it prioritised rider safety.
Some online users were campaigning to “name and shame” those restaurants that were still operating during the No 10 signal, criticising them for requiring staff to work during the storm.
Beyond the catering industry, other Hong Kong workers also had to contend with the severe weather to reach their workplaces.
A hotel worker surnamed Ho said he was instructed to return to work earlier because underground MTR lines would maintain services.
“I will try to find places with cover when I head to work, I would not dare walk near places with overhanging signs,” said Ho, as he was on his way to take the train at Whampoa MTR station to Wan Chai.
Whampoa station on the Kwun Tong line was among the routes which offered limited services despite the typhoon.

A property management sector worker surnamed Chan, also took the train from Whampoa to Wan Chai, as he considered the railway a safe, sheltered option.
“I have got off work during a No 10 typhoon using the MTR before and there weren’t any issues,” he said, “Compared with Super Typhoon Hato, the situation on the street when I came down was all right, it’s not as bad as I imagined.”
Hato made a direct hit on Hong Kong in August 2017, also triggering a No 10 typhoon warning.
Meanwhile, ride-hailing operator Uber continued to operate. A check by the Post showed that a private car service from Sha Tin to Causeway Bay cost HK$173 (US$22), similar to a normal weekend.
A chartered taxi from Chinese ride-hailing operator Didi Chuxing and a regular cab booked on FlyTaxi’s app both cost HK$314, roughly 12 per cent more than on a normal weekend.
But the city’s first fully licensed premium taxi fleet, SynCab, stopped service during the storm.
In Hong Kong, there is no law governing whether workers should receive a day off during adverse weather or extreme conditions.

The Labour Department provides guidelines, encouraging companies and employees to establish practical arrangements based on job nature and urging employers to be considerate and flexible.
Frankie Ngan Man-yu, a lawmaker and labour affairs spokesman for the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, acknowledged that some employees must work in adverse conditions due to the nature of their jobs.
“The most important is that both the employer and employee have made prior work arrangements. Otherwise, employees should not be forced to go to work under typhoon,” Ngan said.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance, employers are obliged to provide and maintain a safe working environment.
If employees must work during tropical cyclone warnings, rainstorm warnings, or extreme conditions, employers must ensure that workplace risks are reduced as far as reasonably practicable.
Furthermore, the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance mandates that employers are liable to pay compensation for injuries or deaths incurred while employees are commuting to and from work during adverse weather.


300 evacuated after suspected wartime bomb found in Hong Kong’s Quarry Bay

Can Hong Kong make rope skipping an Olympic sport?

Why number of Hong Kong newborns could drop to near-record low despite measures

Keeping youth out of crime is a battle all in Hong Kong must fight

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong businesses and workers weather the storm of Typhoon Wipha’s fury

Many businesses and workers, including Lin Wing-fu, a chef of a restaurant at Siu Sai Wan, braved Typhoon Wipha. Photo: Sam Tsang

Many major fast food chains, including McDonald’s in Mong Kok largely remained operational. Photo: Eugene Lee

Many took shelter from the typhoon inside MTR stations, as a number of lines offered limited service. Photo: Eugene Lee

Commuters braved the adverse conditions to reach their places of work. Photo: Harvey Kong

Which typhoons have triggered Hong Kong’s T10 warning in last 30 years?

A potted tree hangs over a bus stop in in Kwun Tong after Super Typhoon Saola battered Hong Kong in 2023. Photo: Sam Tsang

Hong Kong ground to a near standstill as Super Typhoon Saola brought heavy rain and record winds. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Students walk past trees on Tin Ping Road in Sheung Shui after Mangkhut struck Hong Kong in 2018. Sam Tsang

Vicente came as close as about 100km to the southwest of the Observatory. Photo: Sam Tsang

Spray from large waves caused by Typhoon York crashes into a pier in Central. Photo: SCMP

Hong Kong surfing coach slammed after claiming he’s riding waves during Typhoon Wipha

A man carrying a surfboard weighs up his options at Big Wave Bay as Typhoon Wipha approaches the city. He ultimately decided not to enter the water. Photo: Antony Dickson

People take pictures on the waterfront at Tsim Sha Tsui after the T10 signal had been issued. Photo: Edmond So

News

Hong Kong

Society

While the city reeled under the No 10 typhoon signal, many restaurants remained open with workers forced to navigate the adverse conditions


While the city reeled under the No 10 typhoon signal, many restaurants remained open with workers forced to navigate the adverse conditions.
