I waited about 3 minutes. Agree - the most I've waited (as a DM) was around 10 seconds. But having been GR/SL for 8+ years, 3 minutes was quick! :D

Just announced 9.15 pm - Usagi has landed and will be passing HK at 100 KM north in a few hours. Not sure if it means there won't be a higher signal?

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Cx 506 to Osaka

At 10pm still 8. USAGI is 115km NE of HK.
It resumed a W-NW trajectory which would skirt HK within 80-100km if it does not change course. Should also weaken after having hit land.
Currently wind is not too bad in HK.

At 2am, USAGI has passed HK and he is to the NW 90km with rain.
While rain is sometimes strong, the wind has died down considerably since 9pm and similar to a typical HK wind force 5-6 in my area. Hard to see why they maintain a signal 8. Must be the recent overly risk-averse attitude of HK bureaucrats and the desire to add for HKers an additional day of Full-Mon holiday. It will create a chaos of morning air traffic that was not necessary.
Why did CX announce that they will only resume operations by midday Monday??? The wind does not justify the airport to be closed now, not mentioning in afew hours when the sun rise.

I was about to post

Is there a Red Lightning Warning now? No ground staff on the tarmac if yes.

I highly doubt the T8 will stay on for the whole duration of Monday. It will probably be lifted before noon, creating a even bigger chaos for workers commuting to work.

If the red lightning warning mentioned by percysmith, that might be one of the reason. The wind is usually a lot bigger at HKIA region, than what you would feel in the city. Moreover, with the current weather condition, they might not have that capacity of staff on hand at HKIA at this hour to deal with the chaos yet. Resuming after 12, would give workers sometime to start filling in around 8~9am.

http://www.weather.gov.hk/wxinfo/currwx/tc1.htm

"According to the present forecast track, the gales related to Usagi will depart from Pearl River Estuary and the vicinity later this morning. If the local winds weaken to below gale force, the Observatory will consider issue the Strong Wind Signal No. 3 at or before 10 a.m. The public should stay tuned for the latest information on Usagi."

Booked on CX831 JFK-HKG tomorrow (23rd). No word on cancellation, but the incoming CX830 has been cancelled. Any advice on the likelihood of its departing tomorrow?

Strong Wind Signal, No. 3 as of 09:20
+
Thunderstorm Warning as of 06:55

Looks like even if flights can depart, luggage won't be loaded on for the next hour or so.

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.

I'd much rather have "hundred of thousands" of agitated, annoyed and safe pax, rather than even 10% of that figure, six-feet under. Casualties have already been reported, and whilst hindsight is just the bees knees for many :rolleyes:, there were many warnings that the storm would be severe. I'm sure Cathay would love to have taken a day or two off so they could be lambasted by angry pax, overflowing plane loads, and impossible flights, and operational changes the very next day. :rolleyes:

I appreciate everyone's input and thoughts on this thread as I watched this closely since I am leaving for HKG on the 24th.

I am glad the storm was not as significant as first thought an it landed further north than anticipated.

Cheers....

I do understand the principle of precaution, although it is a matter of degree. Pushing the principle to the absurd, no one should be driving or flying.

My criticism is not for closing flights at 6pm on Sunday as the future was uncertain. But for announcing a day in advance that they will cease operations till noon Monday. In the past CX and HKIA had plaid it by the ear. If planes could safely takeoff or land, they would operate even with high winds. But this time, and probably because of the chaos of last year, they not only took preventive measure before the typhoon but also closed operation for 12 hours after. They could have restarted their flights without any danger (there is strictly zero wind) from the early morning. But they took the decision not even to try that. So no planes yet (it is 10:30am here). That would not have happened in the past years or decades, this is a new attitude in HK.
I got to my office early. Yes there were a few branches on the road as usual with storms. But why the officials kept the signal 8 (which effectively mean that workers do not go to work for the day, or at least morning) escapes me. There has never been a typhoon that simply turned and came back. But maybe, that was risk that they took into account in their principle of precaution.

All storm signals lowered as of 10.25 am.