Observatory on the side of safety

It has always been said that Hong Kong's increasingly politicized and divided society has made the life of government officials very difficult. But the latest tropical storm strike on Sunday has proved that even a public office that has nothing to do with politics or social disharmony could become one of the most thankless jobs in the city. The department in question is the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO).

On Sunday tropical storm Roke hit Hong Kong almost head-on in the morning. The HKO issued the No 8 signal at 9:20 am, forcing the closure of schools, two theme parks and the Hong Kong Book Fair, disrupting land and sea transport and causing the delay or cancelation of 341 flights.

But to residents living in different parts of the city, the wind was so weak that it did not even feel like a signal No 3 storm. Adding to their surprise was the four-hour lifespan of the No 8 signal, the third-shortest on HKO's records. Thinking that the No 8 signal was far from warranted and feeling upset that their weekend plans had been unduly disrupted, angry residents called radio phone-in programs on Monday morning and gave the HKO a piece of their mind.

HKO explained that the storm, though small in size, still packed gale-force winds and was very close to Hong Kong. What many people did not know was that the strongest part of the storm would have struck Hong Kong directly had its path not taken a slight turn at the last moment before it made landfall in eastern Sai Kung Peninsula. To play safe, the weatherman could not have taken the risk and bet it would take the path much less harmful to Hong Kong, hence the No 8 signal. That is the difficult decision the HKO has to make every time - balancing safety and public expectations.

Sunday's controversy was not the first time the HKO has come under fire. Many times in the past HKO was criticized for issuing No 8 signals at inappropriate times, allegedly wreaking havoc for traffic, causing inconvenience to commuters and inflicting losses on businesses. People are not aware that the reason for minimal casualties in typhoon strikes in recent decades is due not only to better urban structures but also to accurate typhoon forecasts.

One reason for the wave of fierce attacks on the HKO this time might be that the No 8 signal was issued on Sunday and disrupted people's weekend activities. Had the signal been issued on a weekday and hence given the public an extra holiday, they might have felt happier.

(HK Edition 07/25/2017 page8)