On August 3, 2006, the Hong Kong Observatory was criticized for not issuing a storm warning higher than the No. 3 signal while Typhoon Prapiroon battered parts of the city with winds reaching up to 200 km/h. Unions expressed concern that workers were endangered after being required to attend work because the No. 8 signal was not hoisted. The typhoon's strong winds caused cargo to topple, trees to fall, and significant disruption to traffic and flights, stranding thousands at the airport.
Some residents even suffered bee stings after hives were dislodged from trees, leading to confrontations with bystanders. Meteorologist Clarence Fong Chi-kong, who hosts the Weather Underground website, urged the Observatory to modernize its storm classification system, which currently focuses mainly on urban wind speeds. He noted the system was outdated given the population growth and spread into the New Territories and outlying islands.
This incident sparked public anger over the adequacy of the typhoon warning system in Hong Kong.
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