1908 Hong Kong typhoon
| Formed | 25 July 1908 |
|---|---|
| Dissipated | 28 July 1908 |
| Fatalities | 421 |
| Areas affected | British Hong Kong |
| Part of the 1908 Pacific typhoon season | |
The 1908 Hong Kong Typhoon in Hong Kong Colony on the night of 27–28 July 1908 caused substantial loss of life and property damage. Most notable was the loss of the SS Ying King (英京號), a passenger steamer, which sank while trying to seek shelter from the storm; 421 lives were lost in that sinking. As a result of this storm, additional safety and shelter measures were undertaken, including the construction of a second typhoon shelter in Hong Kong harbour.
At 8:30 pm on the evening of 27 July 1908 (Monday), there was a night signal of Green-Red-Green at the Tamar naval base to indicate a possible typhoon approaching less than 300 miles from the Colony.
At 9:30 pm the Hong Kong Observatory reported that the typhoon seemed to be moving in the direction of the Hong Kong coast. Ships anchoring in the harbour took the usual safety precautions, as small native vessels swarmed to the typhoon shelter at Causeway Bay. The weather signals continued to escalate after that.
The rain started falling and at 11:15 pm the Observatory was ordered to fire an urgent alarm of three explosive rockets at 10-second intervals, and the night alarm signal on the Tamar changed to Red-Green-Red signalling the risk of hurricane-force winds expected at any moment to strike Hong Kong.
The typhoon reached its peak strength after midnight. The typhoon blew over trees, felled chimneys, cracked walls, and caused substantial damage to property. For four hours, streets were difficult if not impossible to use, owing to many falling and blown objects such as hanging signboards, roof tiles, window glass, and debris of all sorts. Strong winds kept blowing until 6:00 am on the next morning (28 July).
In the morning light it became clear that many if not nearly all properties in the Colony would need some repair. Many parallel blinds and shutters had been stripped from windows, glass was broken, roof tiles had been blown away, and walls were stripped of plaster.
The July 1908 Typhoon was frequently compared to the typhoon in September 1906. On shore the July 1908 Typhoon caused more damage, though in the harbour the loss of life was less severe, owing to an advance warning from the Hong Kong Observatory and the availability of the typhoon shelter. Last but not least, the July 1908 Typhoon came from the north-east and not from the north-west the September 1906 Typhoon had.
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