Tropical Cyclone Cam
Direct Hit on Hong Kong 26th September 1999

September 23 to 26, 1999

Hong Kong Tropical Cyclone Signals for Cam:

Tropical Cyclone Signal No 1 (Stand By) was hoisted at 09:40 on Friday 24th September. 
At 12:20 on 25th, raising of  Signal No 3 appeared to be imminent. 
Tropical Cyclone Signal No 3 (Strong Winds) was hoisted at 15:40 on Saturday 25th September. 
Tropical Cyclone Signal No 8 (North West Gales) was hoisted at 05:20 on Sunday 26th September. 
Tropical Cyclone Signal No 8 (South West Gales) was hoisted at 11:20 on Sunday 26th September as the eye crossed Hong Kong. 
The eye of Cam crossed Shatin at about 11:30 today. (see reports below)
Tropical Cyclone Signal No 3 (Strong Winds) was hoisted at 14:10 on Sunday 26th September to replace the No 8 (South West Gales) Signal.  
All Tropical Cyclone Signals were lowered at 15:20 on Sunday 26th September.

Excerpts from email to my brother describing Cam:
Sent at 13:42, 26/10/99: Church today was cancelled in common with all other public gatherings in Hong Kong when No 8 signal or higher is hoisted.
At 10:55 Rosemary and Nina and I went out and ran across the two metres (six feet) from our front door to the entrance of the underground car-park in gale-force winds and driving rain. We safely travelled underground and climbed up from the car-park through the interior fire-escape into the restaurant. There we got our table and waited for Wendy and the boys.
Wendy and the boys came out the front door at 11:35 and found no rain, absolute dead calm, and very bright because the cloud cover was thin. They had come out into the eye of the storm. They walked across the roads on the surface and had a perfectly safe walk to the restaurant.
After lunch at 12:40 we all went back home on the surface as there was no rain and only minor puffs of wind. There was a small patch of blue sky with the sun streaming through, so the eye was evidently still over Shatin.
Since then we have had a series of sudden windy rainy squalls, with dry windy weather in between.
Overall though, the storm seems to be rapidly dissipating, at least here, and I expect the signals will be lowered during the afternoon. The Amber Rainstorm Signal was cancelled at about 13:20 and the Thunderstorm Warning has also been cancelled at some stage while we were at lunch.
Phil
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Under the eye of Cam: Sha Tin, 26th September 1999: This was possibly my best ever experience of the calm that exists in the eye of the storm.  It was amazing after the most violent, gusty, gale-force winds and driving rain that prevented any serious person from risking going outdoors, to suddenly experience absolute dead calm. The sky was mostly very bright indicating that the cloud cover was very thin indeed and a few times there were small patches of blue sky with the sun streaming through.  It was a tremendous contrast to the dull greyness of the time when the winds were blowing and the rain pelting downonly minutes earlier. There were a couple of puffs of breeze that could be felt on the cheek just before the winds started blowing in the opposite direction. Then suddenly it was pelting with rain again and the wind was again rattling the covers of the air-conditioners, but this time on the other side of the flat.  I was unable to see a clear view of the inside of the eyewall as the patches of blue sky were very small and short-lived.  For the most part, the eye of Cam was a cloud-filled eye.

Also check: HKO: Cam Page. Details Track Track over HK

Page last updated on 07/02/08 at 07:01:19 HKT [No 11]

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25/9/99

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