One man died after being struck by flying debris and at least 216 people were injured in the worst storm to hit Hong Kong in 16 years, a government spokesman said.

The typhoon, packing maximum winds of 150 kmph, forced the closure of schools, financial markets and most businesses. Ferry services to outlying islands and to the neighboring Portuguese enclave of Macau were suspended, as fishing boats scurried for cover.

Typhoon York was the most powerful tropical storm to hit Hong Kong since Typhoon Ellen struck on September 9, 1983, the government said. Ellen killed at least eight people, though several more went missing at sea.