Typhoon signals and black rainstorms in Hong Kong: what the numbers mean for work, school and your flat

Back home, bad weather means a yellow warning and a delayed train. In Hong Kong it comes with a numbered system that can shut the city down within two hours. Learn the numbers in your first week; you'll use them every summer.

The short version

• The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) issues tropical cyclone signals numbered 1, 3, 8, 9 and 10. The one that matters most day to day is No. 8, when gale or storm-force winds are expected and most of the city stops [1].
• Rainstorm warnings come in amber, red and black. Black means more than 70 mm of rain an hour: stay indoors or somewhere safe [2].
• When a Pre-No. 8 Special Announcement goes out, No. 8 is expected within about two hours. That's your cue to get home [1][3].
• Under No. 8 and black rain, classes at all schools are suspended, and the Labour Department's code says only "designated staff" should be asked to report for work [3][4].
• The FCDO's travel advice says typhoon season runs from May to November, and that public offices and public transport shut down under "Typhoon 8" [5].

The tropical cyclone signals

Hong Kong's typhoon signals are refreshingly blunt. Each number tells you how strong the wind is, or is about to be [1].

No. 8 comes with a direction (northwest, southwest, northeast or southeast), which tells you which side of your building will take the wind. If your windows face that way, close the curtains and stay out of that room.

The Pre-No. 8 Special Announcement, introduced in 1987, is issued when No. 8 is expected within about two hours [1]. It's the most useful warning in the system, because that's when everyone heads home at once. Leave early if you can.

Does No. 10 really happen?

Yes. In 2025, Hong Kong had two No. 10 signals in one year, for Typhoon Wipha and then Super Typhoon Ragasa, equalling the record since 1964 [6]. During Ragasa, No. 10 stayed up for about 10 hours 40 minutes on 24 September 2025, after more than 11 hours of No. 8 the previous day [6]. That same month, Tropical Storm Tapah brought No. 8 for about 17 hours on 7 and 8 September [6]. Most years you'll see a handful of No. 8s and plenty of No. 1 and No. 3 signals.

Rainstorm warnings

Rain gets its own colour-coded system, based on how much has fallen or is expected across Hong Kong in an hour [2]:

Under black rain, the HKO advises everyone to stay indoors or move to safety, outdoor workers in exposed places to stop and take shelter, and people already at work to stay put unless that's dangerous. The Home Affairs Department opens temporary shelters for anyone with nowhere safe to go [2]. Employers are advised not to require staff to travel unless work arrangements were agreed in advance [2].

Black rain can last far longer than you'd expect. On 5 August 2025 a black rainstorm warning stayed in force for 11 hours 15 minutes, from 5.50am to 5.05pm [9]. The HKO may also warn of landslips and flooding in the northern New Territories alongside a rainstorm warning.

What happens at work

There's no law that closes offices under No. 8, but there is the Labour Department's Code of Practice in Times of Typhoons and Rainstorms, updated in May 2026 [4]. Most employers follow it, and many British firms in Hong Kong copy it into the staff handbook.

• Designated and general staff. Employers should decide in advance who is "designated staff" (needed at work during No. 8, black rain or "extreme conditions") and keep that number as low as possible. Everyone else is "general staff" and shouldn't be asked to come in [4].
• No. 1, No. 3, amber and red: general staff usually work as normal, subject to safety [4].
• Pay. If your employer tells you not to come in, the code says they shouldn't deduct wages, attendance bonuses or allowances, or ask you to make up the hours. Annual leave and rest days shouldn't be swapped at short notice to cover the time [4].
• Going back. If No. 8 or black rain is cancelled during working hours, staff should generally return within about two hours, depending on safety and transport. Close to the end of the day, you may be excused altogether [4].
• Getting home early. When the Pre-No. 8 announcement goes out, the code recommends releasing staff in batches, starting with pregnant employees, staff with disabilities, those who rely on ferries and those who live in remote areas [4].
• "Extreme conditions." After a severe typhoon, the government can announce "extreme conditions" if there's widespread damage or disruption. The code treats it alongside No. 8 and black rain for reporting to work [4]. The government has stressed that it isn't a stop-work order in itself [7].

Working from home is now normal for office staff during No. 8, so check whether your employer expects you to log on.

What happens at school

The Education Bureau's arrangements apply to local and international schools alike, though international schools also publish their own weather policies [3][8]:

• No. 1: all schools open as usual.
• No. 3: kindergartens and some special schools close; primary and secondary schools open.
• Pre-No. 8 announcement, No. 8 or above: classes at all schools are suspended.
• No. 8 lowered to No. 3: primary and secondary schools reopen if No. 3 comes before 5.30am (morning and whole-day schools); kindergartens stay closed.
• Red or black rain issued between 5.30am and 8am: students on morning or whole-day timetables needn't go in. If it's issued during lessons, schools keep pupils until it's safe and you don't need to rush to collect them [8].

Parents can keep children at home if local conditions are dangerous, and they won't be penalised [8]. Announcements go out on radio and TV, the Education Bureau website and the GovHK Notifications app [3].

Preparing your flat

Most Hong Kong towers are built to cope. The usual damage is to windows, balconies and anything left outside.

1. Download MyObservatory, the HKO's app, and turn on alerts. It's what everyone uses.
2. Clear the balcony. Bring in plants, furniture and the drying rack. A flying flowerpot from the 30th floor is a genuine hazard.
3. Check the windows. Make sure they shut and lock properly, and tell the landlord early if seals are failing. Our renting in Hong Kong guide covers what to check before you sign.
4. Clear the drains on balconies and flat roofs so water doesn't back up into the flat.
5. Stock up the day before. Water, food that doesn't need cooking, torches, a charged power bank, any medicines. Supermarkets get busy once No. 3 goes up.
6. Know your building. If you live in a low-lying waterfront estate, ask the management office about flood barriers and storm surges.
7. Check your insurance. Contents policies vary on storm and water damage. Read yours before the season starts, not after.

Getting around in bad weather

Under No. 8, most buses, minibuses and ferries are withdrawn and the MTR scales back, with services on open-air sections the most likely to stop. Taxis become very hard to find. Ferry-dependent places such as Discovery Bay and Lamma are the ones that get cut off first. See driving and getting around Hong Kong for the network.

If family or friends are flying out from the UK, point them to the FCDO's travel advice. Its advice, when we checked on 8 November 2026 (still current at 8 November 2026, updated 1 April 2026), was to "Follow any local warnings issued in advance" [5]. Typhoons also delay and cancel flights, which is worth knowing before you book a tight connection.

Typhoon days are also when Hong Kong's British community fires up the group chat. Swap prep tips and No. 8 board-game recommendations in our community group for Brits in Hong Kong.

Sources

1. Hong Kong Observatory: Tropical cyclone warning signals
2. Hong Kong Observatory: Rainstorm warning system
3. Education Bureau: General schooling arrangements in times of tropical cyclones (e-Bulletin for parents)
4. Labour Department: Code of Practice in Times of Typhoons and Rainstorms (May 2026)
5. GOV.UK (FCDO): Hong Kong travel advice, safety and security (still current at 8 November 2026, updated 1 April 2026)
6. Hong Kong Observatory: Monthly weather summary, September 2025
7. South China Morning Post: "Extreme conditions" notice not a stop-work order, Eric Chan tells Hongkongers (2025)
8. Education Bureau: Students and parents should pay attention to the change in weather (18 August 2025)
9. Hong Kong Observatory: Monthly weather summary, August 2025

Keep reading

• Renting in Hong Kong
• Driving in Hong Kong with a UK licence, and getting around Hong Kong
• Schools in Hong Kong: British and international schools
• Consular help from the FCDO