Hong Kong returned to normal on Monday afternoon after severe tropical storm Tapah triggered a No 8 signal for nearly 16 hours, resulting in the cancellation of 140 flights, class suspensions and flexible work arrangements for many of the city’s workers.

While the No 8 gale signal was in effect, HK Express flight UO235 was suspected to have hit signage boards at 10.36am at Hong Kong International Airport while taxiing on the north runway before stopping on the taxiway.

None of the 137 passengers and crew members on board were injured, but the civil aviation department said it was deeply concerned about the incident and investigating the reason behind it.

Tapah – a Malay word for a type of giant freshwater catfish – hit Hong Kong within a short time frame, triggering No 3 and No 8 signals on Sunday. By Monday afternoon, the forecaster lowered the signal to No 3.

The typhoon was relatively less damaging than the last one, Wipha in July, with authorities reporting 12 people injured during the onslaught of Tapah, 162 reports of fallen trees, three cases of flooding, and no landslides.

Many workers started going to work on Monday afternoon and found the Observatory’s typhoon warnings to be timely.