Residents return to work as T8 lowered, some angered by the timing

Many Hongkongers were already on their way to work before the Observatory downgraded the No.8 typhoon signal at 10.20 am.

Residents found themselves waiting in relatively long queues for public transport, including commuters who were waiting for their bus rides at the Hung Hom Cross Harbour Tunnel Bus-Bus Interchange.

One commuter told reporters that he had to wait more than 15 minutes for his bus to arrive.

Meanwhile, those traveling to work via the MTR said they had to wait for two to three trains before being able to squeeze into the train compartment.

A number of individuals expressed their dissatisfaction through online comments, criticizing the Observatory for the timing of downgrading the typhoon signal. 

Many employees initially believed they only needed to return to the office after a half-day off since the T8 signal was issued late on Wednesday. However, as Toraji weakened and moved away from the city, the Observatory announced the downgrade of the strong wind signal No. 3 at 10.20 am. That led to a flurry of workers hurrying back to the office around noon.

A commenter jokingly stated that if the Observatory wanted to see mass migration, they should travel to Africa but not make things difficult for Hong Kong employees.

Others said there would be severe traffic jams as the typhoon signal was downgraded just before the lunch hour.

Several comments expressed support for the HKO, commending their recent efforts to provide advance notice regarding the typhoon signal issue, which helped students, parents, and workers to feel more at ease.