So USAGI did not hit HK as badly as expected. Further North in GZ province, destruction was worse. Except for a short period around 10pm winds were not that extreme. Since midnight winds were weak and by 3pm basically died down. There was not a trace of wind in my area, none whatsover, from 7am. But still signal 8 was only lifted a 9am. That is a joke. CX and the airport will not operate till noon.

The "principle of precaution" has really hit HK authorities hard. They all want to avoid the slightest possibility of being accused of negligence. There has not been any wind since the typhoon passed, but they manage to keep people off work because of signal 8. CX restart operations at noon, while planes could have safely landed and taken off by 6am or before. And by safely, I really mean that the winds were below a normal day of the year.

I can understand the principle of precaution. I can understand that officials do not wish to see their names in the HK tabloids. But there were hundred of thousands of pax waiting for their plane to return to HK or go to work on important contracts abroad. If HK government is behaving like the French and always find excuse not to work in order being mentioned in tabloids, HK will get weaker in global competition.