Rains from Typhoon Wipha pounded Hong Kong on Sunday as the storm skirted southwards before making landfall on the coast of China’s Guangdong province, leaving fallen trees and scaffolding and sending over 200 people to seek refuge at temporary shelters.

Typhoon Wipha caused severe weather in southern China and Hong Kong, leading to flash floods, landslides, and disrupted transportation. Guangdong and other coastal provinces faced heavy rainfall and wind hazards.

Wipha was a tropical storm over China Sunday evening Eastern time, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center said in its latest advisory. The tropical storm had sustained wind speeds of 52 miles per hour.

Asean disaster management officials began conducting a simulation exercise on Monday to review SOPs and improve the region's preparedness to face crises.

The wind force of Wipha was similar to Super Typhoon Saola that triggered the Hurricane Signal No 10 two years ago, even though Wipha was less

Storm Wipha threatens the region with intense rainfall exceeding 600mm and raises the risk of flash floods and landslides.

Typhoon Wipha is the strongest storm to hit Hong Kong in two years, with average wind speeds exceeding 118 kilometers per hour. The last time the No 10 signal was raised was in 2023 when Super Typhoon Saola struck.