One of the strongest typhoons to impact Macau and Hong Kong in the past 50 years, Hato caused significant damage totaling US$6.82 billion along its path.

Both Hong Kong and Macau had their tropical cyclone signals raised to the highest category in anticipation of the storm, which inflicted more than US$1 billion worth of damage in each of those areas.

Hato made landfall along the southern coast of Zhuhai with a Category-3 intensity (both 1-min and 2-min sustained wind speed of 185 km/h), strong but not stronger than other more powerful storms.

Three other major typhoons, Wanda (1962), Ruby (1964), and Vicente (2012), followed a similar trajectory as that of Hato (from ESE to WNW), making landfall on slightly different parts of the coast.

[1] During the late hours of 18 August, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) started to monitor a tropical disturbance that had developed about 1,495 km (930 mi) southeast of Taipei, Taiwan.

[3] Around the same time, the JTWC issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA),[4] while the JMA initiated advisories as it was determined that the system had 10-minute sustained winds of 55 km/h (35 mph).

[9] By this time, Hato was located in a favorable environment with low vertical wind shear and sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) of 30 °C (86 °F).

[10] Hato failed to strengthen throughout most of 21 August due to a partially exposed low-level circulation center (LLCC) with sheared convection.

[17] Early on 23 August, the JTWC upgraded Hato to a Category 2 typhoon after its eye began to reform with a central dense overcast.

[38] Serious flooding were reported in low-lying areas, such as Heng Fa Chuen on Hong Kong Island, Lei Yue Mun and Tai O due to storm surge.

[42] Most areas of the territory was hit by major flooding and property damages, with citywide power and water outage lasting for at least 24 hours after the passage of the storm.

[32] The head of the Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau resigned due to criticisms by the Macanese public that officials failed to predict the ferocity of the storm.

[46] Macau police arrested two people for using phones to spread unverified information alleging that the authorities had sought to cover up the discovery of bodies in a car park during Typhoon Hato.

[33] Due to the extensive damage and high death toll in South China, the name Hato was officially retired during the 50th annual session of the ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee in February 2018.