Severe Tropical Storm Kammuri passed Hong Kong on Wednesday afternoon after pounding heavy rains, halting traffic and forcing the closure of stock markets in the city.

The Hong Kong Observatory lowered its No. 8 Southeast Gale or Storm Signal to Strong Wind Signal No. 3 at 17:15 (0915 GMT).

Public transport companies are gradually resuming their services.

As of 17:00 (0900 GMT), three cases of flooding and one case of landslide occurred on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon but without injuries.

The strong gales brought by tropical storm Kammuri incurred nine reports of collapsed scaffoldings and one report of fallen windows, with no injuries, according to the Buildings Department.

Citizens called in the Leisure and Cultural Services Departmentto report 35 cases of fallen trees, which brought to 22 cases of full or partial road closure.

Hong Kong airport resumed operation as of 20:00 (1200 GMT) as more than 200 flights of different airways had been canceled or delayed by the tropical storm due to a temporary closure.

Hong Kong MTR, the subway and railway company, has decided to opened its express service connecting the Hong Kong Island with the airport to help transport hundreds of stranded passengers at the airport.

Most of the ferries leading to some of the far-fetched islands, the neighboring Macao as well as some cities in the Chinese mainland were also canceled.. Most of the bus transport in the city was suspended and limited operation was reopened after the tropical storm moved away from Hong Kong Wednesday night.

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEx) had to close the entire day's trading sessions of both the securities and derivatives markets after the issuance of Tropical Cyclone Signal No. 8 by the Hong Kong Observatory.

(Xinhua News Agency August 7, 2008)