Hong Kong braced for Typhoon Hato, a maximum category 10 storm on Wednesday, with hundreds of flights canceled, trading in financial markets suspended and schools and most businesses in the Asian financial hub closed.
Streets were largely deserted as winds intensified and rain lashed down, with many skyscrapers in the heart of the financial center in darkness as the city battened down for one of the worst storms in years.
Hato churned up water in Hong Kong's iconic Victoria Harbour and triggered large swells and massive waves on some of the city's most popular beaches, with the weather observatory warning