While the first signal No 8 typhoon this year caused some disruption to the city, Hong Kong people quickly returned to their usual busy way of life on Tuesday.

The storm signal No 8 remained in effect for more than 16 hours since 8:40 pm on Monday.

People began to rush to work, sometimes treading on the debris of fallen trees after the storm signal was downgraded to Strong Wind Signal No 3 around 12:40 pm on Tuesday.

At 5:10 pm, the Hong Kong Observatory cancelled all tropical cyclone warning signals.

The much anticipated tropical cyclone Nida left Hong Kong with manageable disruption. This included 403 fallen tree reports and the collapse of bamboo scaffoldings.

It also saw some vehicles become trapped in the middle of the road by fallen trees, as government officials worked to clear away these trees across the city.

Despite the powerful tropical cyclone forcing the city to suspend most daily operations, some people chose to defy it. Holding umbrellas against the strong winds and paying no heed to safety warnings, they didn't want to miss the opportunity to witness seeing such powerful weather.

The storm didn't dampen the enthusiasm of tourists, either, as some in Tsim Sha Tsui continued their sightseeing next to Victoria Harbour.

Owing to prior notices and continuous updates issued by the Hong Kong Observatory and joint efforts by government departments, disruption to the public and students was kept to a minimum.

Most schools were suspended on Tuesday while kindergartens were closed since Monday.

Many shoppers were seen on Monday snapping up groceries ahead of the storm, including vegetables and other goods at supermarkets and wet markets.

stushadow@chinadailyhk.com

(HK Edition 08/03/2016 page9)