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Fanapi was the fourth tropical cyclone that necessitated the issuance of a tropical cyclone warning signal by the Hong Kong Observatory in 2010.
Fanapi formed as a tropical depression over the western North Pacific about 750 km south of Okinawa on 15 September and moved northwestwards. It intensified into a tropical storm that evening. Fanapi strengthened into a severe tropical storm on 16 September and moved northeastwards slowly. It resumed a northwesterly track on 17 September and intensified into a typhoon over the western North Pacific to the east of Taiwan. Fanapi intensified further into a severe typhoon on 18 September, reaching its peak intensity with estimated maximum sustained winds of 165 km/h near its centre and turning to move generally westwards. It crossed Taiwan on 19 September and weakened into a typhoon. Fanapi crossed the Taiwan Strait that night. It made landfall over the coastal areas of southern Fujian on 20 September and weakened into a severe tropical storm. Fanapi then tracked westwards across Guangdong and weakened into a tropical storm that evening. It dissipated near Guangzhou on the morning of 21 September. According to press reports, Fanapi caused the death of two people and injured more than 100 in Taiwan. More than 63 000 households suffered from power outage. The agricultural losses amounted to almost NT$270 million. In Fujian, 100 houses collapsed and the direct economic losses amounted to 280 million RMB. In Guangdong, rainstorms triggered by Fanapi resulted in 33 people being killed and 42 people missing. A total of 1 438 houses collapsed and the damage to crops amounted to about 30 000 hectares with a direct economic loss of about 2 billion RMB.
In Hong Kong, the Standby Signal No. 1 was issued at 4:35 p.m. on 19 September when Fanapi was about 640 km east of Hong Kong. Local winds were moderate westerlies that day and freshened the next day with occasionally strong winds on high ground. At the Hong Kong Observatory Headquarters, the lowest instantaneous mean sea-level pressure of 997.2 hPa was recorded at 3:02 p.m. on 20 September when Fanapi was located about 230 km to the east-northeast. As Fanapi continued to move closer, the Strong Wind Signal No. 3 was issued at 4:05 p.m. that day when it was about 220 km east-northeast of Hong Kong. Local winds turned to the southwest and strengthened further that night to become strong over offshore waters, occasionally reaching gale force on high ground. Fanapi was closest to Hong Kong between 1 and 2 a.m. on 21 September passing about 150 km to the north of the Hong Kong Observatorys Headquarters. As Fanapi weakened overland, local winds moderated that morning and all signals were cancelled at 7:35 a.m.
Under the influence of the subsiding air ahead of Fanapi, the weather was generally fine and very hot on 19 September. The rainbands of Fanapi started to affect Hong Kong during the afternoon of 20 September and there were heavy rain with squally thunderstorms. The Amber rainstorm Warning was issued at 8:05 p.m. and was cancelled at 9:50 p.m. Heavy rain with a few squally thunderstorms continued to affect Hong Kong on 21 September. The Amber and Red Rainstorm Warnings were issued at 1:55 a.m. and 2:40 a.m. respectively. The Red Rainstorm Warning was replaced by the Amber Rainstorm at 4:55 a.m. which was cancelled at 5:25 a.m.
Affected by the rainbands associated with Fanapi, there were three reports of flooding in Hong Kong Island, Sai Kung and Yuen Long on the morning of 21 September. At Pokfulam Village in Hong Kong Island, villagers were affected by flood waters and had to be rescued by firemen. There were 47 reports of fallen trees in Hong Kong, damaging a few vehicles, but fortunately no one was injured.
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