Data through 2026-09-13 (13 September 2026)
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Typhoon Saola halts port work in Hong Kong and Shenzhen

Typhoon Saola halts port work in Hong Kong and Shenzhen. The disruption ran from 2023-08-31 (31 August 2023) to 2023-09-02 (2 September 2023), 3 days, affecting Hong Kong, Yantian, Shekou. Hong Kong averaged 22.0 calls per day during the event window against an expected 45.2 (-51.3%). Yantian averaged 4.7 calls per day during the event window against an expected 8.3 (-44.0%). Shekou averaged 3.0 calls per day during the event window against an expected 9.5 (-68.4%).

Key facts

Started
2023-08-31 (31 August 2023)
Ended
2023-09-02 (2 September 2023)
Status
ended
Severity
2 Moderate
Scope
regional
Chokepoints
None
Lanes
None
Countries
Hong Kong, China
Confidence
high: The signal history and the storm's strength come from the Hong Kong government. The Shenzhen terminal stop and restart times rest on Chinese business press reporting of the terminal operators' own notices. The window does not overlap a calendar exclusion, although China's National Day holiday begins four weeks later.
First reported
2023-09-01 (1 September 2023)
  • Severity basis: Port wide stoppages at Shenzhen and Hong Kong lasted from the afternoon of 2023-08-31 to the evening of 2023-09-02, which falls in the band of 24 hours to 7 days.

What happened

Typhoon Saola stopped port work in Shenzhen and Hong Kong from 2023-08-31 (31 August 2023) to 2023-09-02 (2 September 2023). Terminals in Shenzhen, including Yantian and Shekou, stopped taking empty containers at 12:00 on 2023-08-31 and halted all handling from 16:00 that day. The Hong Kong Observatory issued the Hurricane Signal No. 10 during Saola's passage on 2023-09-01, the first since 2018, and public transport, schools and business in the city stopped. The government said the signal was lowered to No. 8 at 03:40 on 2023-09-02. Saola made landfall near Yangjiang in Guangdong that afternoon, rail and air services in the province having been suspended from the previous evening. Yantian said gate work would resume in full at 22:00 on 2023-09-02.

Measured effect

Port calls, Hong Kong

Baseline (expected)
45.2 calls per day
Observed
22.0 calls per day
Change
-23.2 (-51.3%)
Standardised score
-3.4
Event window
2023-08-31 to 2023-09-02 (3 days)
Baseline window
2023-06-29 to 2023-08-23 (56 valid days)
Method
wfm-effect-1.0
Computed
2026-09-24 (24 September 2026), data revision 1:62ecc7c2004f

Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms.

This is a measured change in public data during the event window, compared with a baseline before it. It shows timing, not cause. We describe an event as causing a change only when an official source says so.

Container ship port calls, Yantian

Baseline (expected)
8.3 calls per day
Observed
4.7 calls per day
Change
-3.7 (-44.0%)
Standardised score
-1.2
Event window
2023-08-31 to 2023-09-02 (3 days)
Baseline window
2023-06-29 to 2023-08-23 (56 valid days)
Method
wfm-effect-1.0
Computed
2026-09-24 (24 September 2026), data revision 1:ed5c7114a9c8

Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms.

This is a measured change in public data during the event window, compared with a baseline before it. It shows timing, not cause. We describe an event as causing a change only when an official source says so.

Container ship port calls, Shekou

Baseline (expected)
9.5 calls per day
Observed
3.0 calls per day
Change
-6.5 (-68.4%)
Standardised score
-2.1
Event window
2023-08-31 to 2023-09-02 (3 days)
Baseline window
2023-06-29 to 2023-08-23 (56 valid days)
Method
wfm-effect-1.0
Computed
2026-09-24 (24 September 2026), data revision 1:0781eb6ff3bf

Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms.

This is a measured change in public data during the event window, compared with a baseline before it. It shows timing, not cause. We describe an event as causing a change only when an official source says so.

Timeline

  1. Terminals in Shenzhen, including Yantian, Shekou and Dapeng Bay, stop taking empty containers at 12:00 and stop all handling from 16:00. [s3]
  2. The Hong Kong Observatory issues the Hurricane Signal No. 10, the first since 2018, as Saola passes close to the city. Trains in Guangdong stop from 20:00 and departures from Shenzhen airport are cancelled. [s1] [s4]
  3. The Observatory replaces the No. 10 signal with the No. 8 signal at 03:40. The government reports 40 shelters open and 499 people in them at 03:00, 11 flooding reports and 51 people treated in public hospitals during the storm. [s2]
  4. Saola makes landfall in coastal Guangdong. Guangzhou's Xinsha terminal resumes normal work at 15:00 and Yantian says gate work will resume in full at 22:00. [s3] [s4]

Cause

Port and transport operations were suspended because of Super Typhoon Saola, which passed close to Hong Kong with maximum sustained winds near its centre of 230 kilometres per hour before making landfall in Guangdong on 2023-09-02. Attributed by: Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. [s1]

Resolution

2023-09-02 (2 September 2023): The Hong Kong signal was lowered to No. 8 at 03:40 on 2023-09-02 and the city began returning to normal. Guangzhou's Xinsha terminal resumed normal work at 15:00 and Yantian resumed gate work in full at 22:00 the same day. [s2] [s3]

Corrections

No corrections to this record as of 2026-09-24 (24 September 2026).

Sources

  1. [s1] Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, A September with Super Typhoon Saola and record-breaking rainstorm, published 2023-10-04 (4 October 2023), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (official)
  2. [s2] Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Typhoon Saola situation report (8), published 2023-09-02 (2 September 2023), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (official)
  3. [s3] 21st Century Business Herald, “苏拉”远去，广深港口码头逐步恢复正常作业, published 2023-09-02 (2 September 2023), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (press)
  4. [s4] China Daily, Typhoon Saola hits coastal Guangdong, published 2023-09-02 (2 September 2023), accessed 2026-09-15. Archived copy. (press)