Should I cancel my Hong Kong trip because of a typhoon forecast?

Usually no. By our count of HKO records, every No. 8-or-higher spell since 2016 has lasted 4 to 38 hours, so expect to lose about a day, not the trip; wait for your airline's waiver and rebook rather than cancel.

What closes when Typhoon Signal No. 8 is hoisted in Hong Kong?

Buses, minibuses and ferries generally stop, and Hong Kong Disneyland, Ocean Park, museums and many shops and restaurants close. The MTR keeps running, reduced as the storm nears, and the airport stays open.

Does the MTR run during Signal No. 8 or a Black Rainstorm?

At No. 8 yes, reduced as the storm nears; at No. 9 or No. 10 only a limited underground service runs. In a Black Rainstorm, MTR may close flood-prone station exits.

Is Hong Kong airport open during a typhoon?

Yes, the terminal and runways stay open, but flights depend on your airline; during Super Typhoon Ragasa in September 2025 Cathay Pacific stopped operating for 36 hours.

What is a Black Rainstorm warning and how long does it last?

It means more than 70 mm of rain an hour over Hong Kong. By our count of HKO records, it has been issued 35 times since March 1998, and half ended within about 2 hours 15 minutes.

Do typhoon signals still happen in October and November?

Yes. By our count of HKO records, No. 8 or higher went up in October or November in 7 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, most recently for Toraji on 13–14 November 2024.

What happens in Macau at Typhoon Signal No. 8?

Macau uses the same numbers. At No. 8, ferries, the HZMB Golden Bus and Macau's public transport stop and most shops close; for Super Typhoon Ragasa in 2025, casinos closed too.

Hong Kong Typhoon Season 2026 — Signal 8 & Black Rain Guide

Updated: 2026-09-23

As of September 2026, a typhoon rarely justifies cancelling a Hong Kong trip: by our count of HKO records, each Signal No. 8 spell since 2016 has lasted 4 to 38 hours (median about 16), and while it is up, buses, ferries, theme parks and museums generally stop but the MTR and airport keep running. Signals peak from July to September (5.5 storms a year need one and 1.6 reach No. 8, HKO 1991–2020 normals), yet by our count No. 8 still went up in October or November in 7 of the 10 years 2016–2025, and half of all Black Rainstorm warnings since 1998 ended within about 2 hours 15 minutes.

Signal by signal: what runs and what closes

Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) judges No. 3 and No. 8 by winds at eight reference stations across the territory, so No. 8 (locally "T8") can go up while your street is still calm.

Signal / warning	Meaning (HKO)	Transport	Attractions and shops	What to do
No. 1 Standby	Tropical cyclone within about 800 km	Normal	Open; some outdoor rides may pause	Check airline advisories
No. 3 Strong Wind	Sustained 41–62 km/h, gusts may top 110 km/h	MTR normal; Star Ferry usually sails	Theme parks open; outdoor rides suspended or limited	Drop hikes, beaches and boat trips
Pre-No. 8 announcement	No. 8 expected within 2 hours	MTR normal, extra trains if needed; ferries announce last sailings	Ocean Park stops on-site ticket sales and clears the park	Head back to your hotel
No. 8 NE / SE / SW / NW	Sustained 63–117 km/h, gusts may top 180 km/h; letters give the wind direction	Buses, minibuses and ferries generally suspended; MTR runs, reduced as the storm nears	Disneyland, Ocean Park and museums close; many shops and restaurants shut	Stay indoors; rebook through your airline
No. 9 / No. 10	Gales increasing / hurricane force, 118 km/h or more	MTR open-air sections stop; limited service underground	Closed	Stay away from windows
Amber / Red Rainstorm	Over 30 / 50 mm of rain in an hour	Usually running; Red can bring serious road flooding	Open; some outdoor rides may pause	Avoid streams and low-lying streets
Black Rainstorm	Over 70 mm of rain in an hour	Roads flood; MTR may close flood-prone exits	Issued in opening hours: parks (limited) and museums stay open. Issued before: late or no opening	Stay indoors until it is cancelled
"Extreme conditions"	Rare government announcement after a super typhoon or major disaster	Can be seriously disrupted	Museums and Disneyland treat it like No. 8	Stay where you are for 2 hours after No. 8 is cancelled

Why shops shut: the Labour Department's Code of Practice in Times of Adverse Weather and "Extreme Conditions" expects only pre-designated staff at work under No. 8 or higher, Black Rain or "extreme conditions"; others return as agreed with their employer, often within 2 hours of cancellation.
Tickets: a Hong Kong Disneyland 1-Day ticket cut short by No. 8 can be reused within 6 months; Ngong Ping 360 says only that its cable car may be suspended in bad weather.

When signals happen: HKO data for 2026 planning

Peak months: August averages 1.53 signal storms a year and 0.50 at No. 8 or higher, September 1.37 and 0.43, July 1.23 and 0.37 (HKO 1991–2020 normals).
Late season: October averages 0.60 signal storms and November 0.17, yet in our count No. 8 or higher went up in October or November in 7 of the 10 years 2016–2025, most recently for Toraji on 13–14 November 2024.
Duration: in our count, across the 25 storms that needed No. 8 or higher from 2016 to July 2026, the No. 8-plus spell lasted 4 to 38 hours. The only one in 2026 so far, Noul, held No. 8 or 9 from 22:10 on 25 July to 12:40 on 26 July.
Black Rain: we count 35 Black signals in HKO's records since March 1998, 25 of them in May–August. Half ended within about 2 hours 15 minutes; the longest ran 16 hours 35 minutes on 7–8 September 2023. Black can come without a Red first.

The monthly averages are HKO's official 1991–2020 normals; the other counts are alvin.travel's own tally of HKO's Warnings and Signals Database, checked on 23 September 2026, not official HKO statistics.

Flights, Airport Express and taxis at No. 8

Victoria Harbour and the Star Ferry, Hong KongPhoto: Tore Sætre (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons

The airport stays open: for Super Typhoon Ragasa in September 2025, the Airport Authority said its runways and terminal would stay open, with some shops and restaurants running, but land transport to the airport is affected at No. 8 or higher.
Flights depend on your airline: Cathay Pacific ran a 36-hour no-operations window for Ragasa and cancelled around 560 flights, after offering a rebooking-fee waiver two days ahead. Go to the airport only once your seat is confirmed.
Airport Express ran every 10 minutes at No. 8 during Ragasa, with In-Town Check-In closing 120 minutes before departure instead of 90, then stopped entirely at No. 10. MTR lists it among the lines that take longer to restore after No. 9 or 10.
Taxis: a taxi hailed on the street or at a rank must charge the meter fare with no surcharge; the airport runs a Taxi Queue Ticket System at No. 8 or higher.

Macau: same signal numbers, tighter shutdown

Same scale: Macau's SMG uses No. 1, 3, 8 (NE, SE, SW, NW), 9 and 10 with the same wind bands. The Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) puts the season at May–November, peaking July–September; Macau also issues storm surge warnings from Blue to Black.
At No. 8 or higher (MGTO): ferries to and from Macau, the HZMB Golden Bus shuttle and all Macau public transport are suspended, most bridges close to traffic (the Macao Bridge stays open to light vehicles) and most shops close. Hong Kong's Macau ferry terminals also closed at No. 8 for Noul on 25 July 2026.
Casinos: closure is a government decision per storm; for Ragasa, all casinos closed from No. 8 on 23 September 2025.
Alerts: MGTO texts visitors in Macau when No. 8 is issued; its Tourism Hotline, +853 2833 3000, runs 24 hours.

Checklist before you fly

Follow the source: install HKO's MyObservatory app and bookmark HKO's warnings page; in Macau, add the Macao Civil Protection Information app.
Stay online: a Hong Kong eSIM set up before you land keeps those apps and your airline's working if hotel Wi-Fi drops; keep your home SIM on for Macau's text alerts.
Build slack: book refundable rooms and keep one buffer day before your flight home.
Insure early: many policies exclude a storm already named when you bought cover, so buy it when you book.
Next stop Taiwan or Japan? See our Taiwan typhoon season guide and Japan typhoon season guide.

General information only — check HKO, SMG, your airline and other official sources for your situation.

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FAQ

Should I cancel my Hong Kong trip because of a typhoon forecast?
Usually no. By our count of HKO records, every No. 8-or-higher spell since 2016 has lasted 4 to 38 hours, so expect to lose about a day, not the trip; wait for your airline's waiver and rebook rather than cancel.
What closes when Typhoon Signal No. 8 is hoisted in Hong Kong?
Buses, minibuses and ferries generally stop, and Hong Kong Disneyland, Ocean Park, museums and many shops and restaurants close. The MTR keeps running, reduced as the storm nears, and the airport stays open.
Does the MTR run during Signal No. 8 or a Black Rainstorm?
At No. 8 yes, reduced as the storm nears; at No. 9 or No. 10 only a limited underground service runs. In a Black Rainstorm, MTR may close flood-prone station exits.
Is Hong Kong airport open during a typhoon?
Yes, the terminal and runways stay open, but flights depend on your airline; during Super Typhoon Ragasa in September 2025 Cathay Pacific stopped operating for 36 hours.
What is a Black Rainstorm warning and how long does it last?
It means more than 70 mm of rain an hour over Hong Kong. By our count of HKO records, it has been issued 35 times since March 1998, and half ended within about 2 hours 15 minutes.
Do typhoon signals still happen in October and November?
Yes. By our count of HKO records, No. 8 or higher went up in October or November in 7 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, most recently for Toraji on 13–14 November 2024.
What happens in Macau at Typhoon Signal No. 8?
Macau uses the same numbers. At No. 8, ferries, the HZMB Golden Bus and Macau's public transport stop and most shops close; for Super Typhoon Ragasa in 2025, casinos closed too.