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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%).

World Freight Monitor permanent record. https://worldfreightmonitor.com/events/2023/typhoon-saola-hong-kong-shenzhen-2023/. Record last updated 2026-09-24.

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
Port calls, Hong KongPort calls, Hong Kong, 2023-06-22 (22 June 2023) to 2023-10-14 (14 October 2023): values ranged from 0 calls per day on 2023-09-01 to 75 calls per day on 2023-10-09, with a mean of 44.7 calls per day. The latest value, for 2023-10-14, was 47 calls per day. The shaded band marks the event window, 2023-08-31 to 2023-09-02.0204060802023-06-222023-08-182023-10-14
Port calls, Hong Kong, 2023-06-22 (22 June 2023) to 2023-10-14 (14 October 2023): values ranged from 0 calls per day on 2023-09-01 to 75 calls per day on 2023-10-09, with a mean of 44.7 calls per day. The latest value, for 2023-10-14, was 47 calls per day. The shaded band marks the event window, 2023-08-31 to 2023-09-02.

Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms. Retrieved 2026-11-10 (10 November 2026).

Port calls, Hong Kong (calls per day).
Datecalls per day
2023-06-2240
2023-06-2357
2023-06-2446
2023-06-2538
2023-06-2644
2023-06-2748
2023-06-2847
2023-06-2953
2023-06-3045
2023-07-0143
2023-07-0239
2023-07-0342
2023-07-0448
2023-07-0548
2023-07-0643
2023-07-0740
2023-07-0847
2023-07-0942
2023-07-1050
2023-07-1151
2023-07-1255
2023-07-1350
2023-07-1441
2023-07-1550
2023-07-164
2023-07-1725
2023-07-1870
2023-07-1964
2023-07-2050
2023-07-2157
2023-07-2244
2023-07-2355
2023-07-2458
2023-07-2550
2023-07-2642
2023-07-2736
2023-07-2825
2023-07-2934
2023-07-3054
2023-07-3153
2023-08-0154
2023-08-0239
2023-08-0346
2023-08-0444
2023-08-0531
2023-08-0635
2023-08-0747
2023-08-0849
2023-08-0948
2023-08-1051
2023-08-1139
2023-08-1244
2023-08-1341
2023-08-1446
2023-08-1554
2023-08-1645
2023-08-1751
2023-08-1842
2023-08-1947
2023-08-2037
2023-08-2148
2023-08-2241
2023-08-2350
2023-08-2439
2023-08-2553
2023-08-2657
2023-08-2739
2023-08-2844
2023-08-2950
2023-08-3050
2023-08-3114
2023-09-010
2023-09-0252
2023-09-0366
2023-09-0460
2023-09-0547
2023-09-0650
2023-09-0747
2023-09-0845
2023-09-0950
2023-09-1043
2023-09-1144
2023-09-1254
2023-09-1344
2023-09-1449
2023-09-1548
2023-09-1643
2023-09-1736
2023-09-1848
2023-09-1954
2023-09-2052
2023-09-2142
2023-09-2245
2023-09-2347
2023-09-2443
2023-09-2549
2023-09-2643
2023-09-2741
2023-09-2858
2023-09-2941
2023-09-3029
2023-10-0139
2023-10-0248
2023-10-0344
2023-10-0444
2023-10-0532
2023-10-0612
2023-10-071
2023-10-080
2023-10-0975
2023-10-1061
2023-10-1166
2023-10-1247
2023-10-1352
2023-10-1447

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
Container ship port calls, YantianContainer ship port calls, Yantian, 2023-06-22 (22 June 2023) to 2023-10-14 (14 October 2023): values ranged from 0 calls per day on 2023-07-16 to 17 calls per day on 2023-08-21, with a mean of 9.2 calls per day. The latest value, for 2023-10-14, was 5 calls per day. The shaded band marks the event window, 2023-08-31 to 2023-09-02.051015202023-06-222023-08-182023-10-14
Container ship port calls, Yantian, 2023-06-22 (22 June 2023) to 2023-10-14 (14 October 2023): values ranged from 0 calls per day on 2023-07-16 to 17 calls per day on 2023-08-21, with a mean of 9.2 calls per day. The latest value, for 2023-10-14, was 5 calls per day. The shaded band marks the event window, 2023-08-31 to 2023-09-02.

Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms. Retrieved 2026-11-10 (10 November 2026).

Container ship port calls, Yantian (calls per day).
Datecalls per day
2023-06-2212
2023-06-237
2023-06-248
2023-06-258
2023-06-2612
2023-06-2711
2023-06-289
2023-06-299
2023-06-308
2023-07-016
2023-07-0213
2023-07-0313
2023-07-047
2023-07-0510
2023-07-068
2023-07-0715
2023-07-088
2023-07-0912
2023-07-1011
2023-07-119
2023-07-1210
2023-07-1311
2023-07-149
2023-07-158
2023-07-160
2023-07-170
2023-07-1815
2023-07-1913
2023-07-208
2023-07-2110
2023-07-2211
2023-07-2313
2023-07-247
2023-07-258
2023-07-267
2023-07-279
2023-07-286
2023-07-298
2023-07-309
2023-07-3112
2023-08-0110
2023-08-0210
2023-08-038
2023-08-045
2023-08-059
2023-08-0610
2023-08-0710
2023-08-0811
2023-08-097
2023-08-1013
2023-08-118
2023-08-1210
2023-08-1315
2023-08-1411
2023-08-1511
2023-08-169
2023-08-1710
2023-08-185
2023-08-192
2023-08-205
2023-08-2117
2023-08-2210
2023-08-2312
2023-08-2411
2023-08-2510
2023-08-267
2023-08-2712
2023-08-2812
2023-08-299
2023-08-3010
2023-08-310
2023-09-010
2023-09-0214
2023-09-0311
2023-09-0412
2023-09-058
2023-09-0613
2023-09-079
2023-09-087
2023-09-0910
2023-09-1013
2023-09-1114
2023-09-129
2023-09-1311
2023-09-1410
2023-09-1512
2023-09-1612
2023-09-1712
2023-09-188
2023-09-1910
2023-09-209
2023-09-2110
2023-09-2210
2023-09-2310
2023-09-249
2023-09-259
2023-09-2611
2023-09-278
2023-09-289
2023-09-299
2023-09-307
2023-10-016
2023-10-028
2023-10-0310
2023-10-045
2023-10-053
2023-10-060
2023-10-070
2023-10-080
2023-10-0915
2023-10-1015
2023-10-1111
2023-10-1213
2023-10-1310
2023-10-145

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
Container ship port calls, ShekouContainer ship port calls, Shekou, 2023-06-22 (22 June 2023) to 2023-10-14 (14 October 2023): values ranged from 0 calls per day on 2023-07-16 to 18 calls per day on 2023-07-21, with a mean of 9.0 calls per day. The latest value, for 2023-10-14, was 7 calls per day. The shaded band marks the event window, 2023-08-31 to 2023-09-02.051015202023-06-222023-08-182023-10-14
Container ship port calls, Shekou, 2023-06-22 (22 June 2023) to 2023-10-14 (14 October 2023): values ranged from 0 calls per day on 2023-07-16 to 18 calls per day on 2023-07-21, with a mean of 9.0 calls per day. The latest value, for 2023-10-14, was 7 calls per day. The shaded band marks the event window, 2023-08-31 to 2023-09-02.

Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms. Retrieved 2026-11-10 (10 November 2026).

Container ship port calls, Shekou (calls per day).
Datecalls per day
2023-06-227
2023-06-2313
2023-06-2413
2023-06-258
2023-06-268
2023-06-2711
2023-06-2810
2023-06-299
2023-06-3011
2023-07-0111
2023-07-027
2023-07-0313
2023-07-047
2023-07-0511
2023-07-0611
2023-07-078
2023-07-089
2023-07-099
2023-07-106
2023-07-1110
2023-07-129
2023-07-1311
2023-07-147
2023-07-1512
2023-07-160
2023-07-170
2023-07-1810
2023-07-1912
2023-07-2012
2023-07-2118
2023-07-2212
2023-07-2313
2023-07-2414
2023-07-257
2023-07-269
2023-07-275
2023-07-284
2023-07-296
2023-07-3011
2023-07-3114
2023-08-0113
2023-08-028
2023-08-0311
2023-08-0413
2023-08-059
2023-08-064
2023-08-079
2023-08-0810
2023-08-096
2023-08-1011
2023-08-119
2023-08-129
2023-08-1311
2023-08-1410
2023-08-156
2023-08-1610
2023-08-1714
2023-08-182
2023-08-192
2023-08-204
2023-08-2112
2023-08-2210
2023-08-239
2023-08-2411
2023-08-2510
2023-08-2610
2023-08-279
2023-08-289
2023-08-298
2023-08-3011
2023-08-310
2023-09-010
2023-09-029
2023-09-0311
2023-09-0413
2023-09-0512
2023-09-0610
2023-09-0710
2023-09-0810
2023-09-099
2023-09-109
2023-09-1112
2023-09-129
2023-09-138
2023-09-147
2023-09-1511
2023-09-168
2023-09-1711
2023-09-1811
2023-09-1911
2023-09-208
2023-09-217
2023-09-229
2023-09-238
2023-09-249
2023-09-256
2023-09-2611
2023-09-279
2023-09-2811
2023-09-2911
2023-09-3010
2023-10-018
2023-10-0210
2023-10-0312
2023-10-0410
2023-10-056
2023-10-060
2023-10-070
2023-10-080
2023-10-098
2023-10-1012
2023-10-1118
2023-10-1211
2023-10-139
2023-10-147

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.

Replay

Replay: Port calls, Hong KongPort calls, Hong Kong, 2023-07-02 (2 July 2023) to 2023-09-30 (30 September 2023): values ranged from 0 calls per day on 2023-09-01 to 70 calls per day on 2023-07-18. The shaded band marks the event window, 2023-08-31 to 2023-09-02.0204060802023-07-022023-09-30
Port calls, Hong Kong, 2023-07-02 (2 July 2023) to 2023-09-30 (30 September 2023): values ranged from 0 calls per day on 2023-09-01 to 70 calls per day on 2023-07-18. The shaded band marks the event window, 2023-08-31 to 2023-09-02.

Source: IMF PortWatch (portwatch.imf.org), International Monetary Fund, using UN Global Platform AIS data. Statistics derived by World Freight Monitor. Terms. Retrieved 2026-11-10 (10 November 2026).

Port calls, Hong Kong (calls per day), daily values shown in the replay.
Datecalls per day
2023-07-0239
2023-07-0342
2023-07-0448
2023-07-0548
2023-07-0643
2023-07-0740
2023-07-0847
2023-07-0942
2023-07-1050
2023-07-1151
2023-07-1255
2023-07-1350
2023-07-1441
2023-07-1550
2023-07-164
2023-07-1725
2023-07-1870
2023-07-1964
2023-07-2050
2023-07-2157
2023-07-2244
2023-07-2355
2023-07-2458
2023-07-2550
2023-07-2642
2023-07-2736
2023-07-2825
2023-07-2934
2023-07-3054
2023-07-3153
2023-08-0154
2023-08-0239
2023-08-0346
2023-08-0444
2023-08-0531
2023-08-0635
2023-08-0747
2023-08-0849
2023-08-0948
2023-08-1051
2023-08-1139
2023-08-1244
2023-08-1341
2023-08-1446
2023-08-1554
2023-08-1645
2023-08-1751
2023-08-1842
2023-08-1947
2023-08-2037
2023-08-2148
2023-08-2241
2023-08-2350
2023-08-2439
2023-08-2553
2023-08-2657
2023-08-2739
2023-08-2844
2023-08-2950
2023-08-3050
2023-08-3114
2023-09-010
2023-09-0252
2023-09-0366
2023-09-0460
2023-09-0547
2023-09-0650
2023-09-0747
2023-09-0845
2023-09-0950
2023-09-1043
2023-09-1144
2023-09-1254
2023-09-1344
2023-09-1449
2023-09-1548
2023-09-1643
2023-09-1736
2023-09-1848
2023-09-1954
2023-09-2052
2023-09-2142
2023-09-2245
2023-09-2347
2023-09-2443
2023-09-2549
2023-09-2643
2023-09-2741
2023-09-2858
2023-09-2941
2023-09-3029

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)

Cite this record

The address of this record is permanent and a correction is always logged on this page, so a citation names the version you read. Add the date you accessed it.

Plain text

World Freight Monitor. "Typhoon Saola halts port work in Hong Kong and Shenzhen." Last updated 2026-09-24 (24 September 2026). https://worldfreightmonitor.com/events/2023/typhoon-saola-hong-kong-shenzhen-2023/

APA

World Freight Monitor. (2026). Typhoon Saola halts port work in Hong Kong and Shenzhen. World Freight Monitor. https://worldfreightmonitor.com/events/2023/typhoon-saola-hong-kong-shenzhen-2023/

BibTeX

@misc{wfm_typhoon_saola_hong_kong_shenzhen_2023,
  author = {{World Freight Monitor}},
  title = {Typhoon Saola halts port work in Hong Kong and Shenzhen},
  year = {2026},
  note = {Last updated 2026-09-24},
  url = {https://worldfreightmonitor.com/events/2023/typhoon-saola-hong-kong-shenzhen-2023/}
}