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| Today's front page in the print edition of the South China Morning Post (online link below) |
We've just been out for a drive around Discovery Bay and it's a big mess everywhere, but with the cleanup crews hard at it already. In a day or two there won't be much sign of this Super Typhoon Mangkhut, the strongest in 37 years so they say (correction: the HK Observatory says it's the strongest since 1946, which also happens to be Joanna Lumley's date of birth, a fact I know because we've just watched her terrific three-part "Trans Siberian Adventure" which I'd class under random, but useful and actionable, info (cf next para)).[*]
By the way "Mangkhut" is a Thai word meaning mangosteen. Easier to remember in Chinese (if you speak Chinese...) = 山竹, pronounced "shān zhú" = lit. "mountain bamboo", but which is the Chinese for "mangosteen", which I did not know, but will not help much in life as I can't remember the last time I had a mangosteen or if indeed I've ever had one, so I'd file that under random, but useless info.
Winds averaged almost 200 kph with gusts to 240 kph. That's 130 knots for sailing types. For only the second time we've been in Hong Kong the Observatory hoisted the number 10 signal. (Usually, for a typhoon it's a number 8 signal. At which point businesses are shut down).
Anyway a couple of my pics below and more of a report at the SCMP link:
MTR chaos, more than 600 roads blocked as typhoon recovery begins.
MTR chaos, more than 600 roads blocked as typhoon recovery begins.
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| DB Plaza this morning |
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| A look alike for our dear departed NIKKIE |
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| Our backyard cleanup begins |
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| Just outside our front door. The whole street littered with downed trees |
