Fact-Check | Video of people struggling in Typhoon Wipha winds filmed in Zhuhai, not Hong Kong

With the rise of social media and generative AI, how much of what we see online is true? In this new series, SCMP Fact-Check, the Post investigates claims circulating online and debunks viral misinformation impacting the daily lives of Hongkongers.

“Typhoon Wipha Signal #10 Hits Hong Kong July 20,2025,” reads a Facebook post by a user with some 61,000 followers, shared on July 21.

Viewed more than 7,000 times, it features a 26-second video showing people fighting back gusts of wind, with some being dragged across the ground.

A screenshot of the video posted on Facebook with lines crossed through by the Post. Photo: Facebook/SCMP Composite
A screenshot of the video posted on Facebook with lines crossed through by the Post. Photo: Facebook/SCMP Composite
The clip spread online as Hong Kong was hit by Typhoon Wipha on July 20, which triggered the year’s first No 10 hurricane signal in the city and left dozens hurt.
It was also shared alongside other purported clips of the typhoon on Facebook, X and YouTube.
One version posted by another Facebook user amassed more than 21 million views.

But the video was actually of scenes from Zhuhai in mainland China.

Investigation

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