Tropical cyclone Wipha brought destructive winds to Hong Kong in July 2025, resulting in many injuries and substantial property damage. Wipha posed considerable challenges for warning services because of (1) the high sensitivity of local wind strength to track errors given its relatively small size and proximity to Hong Kong; (2) uncertainty in the intensification of typhoon intensity during approach; and (3) rapid intensification occurring close to the territory.In this study, we examined the observational and forecasting aspects of Wipha from an operational warning perspective. Multiplatform observations, including lightning detection, satellite imagery, and Doppler LiDAR, confirmed the rapid intensification phase of Wipha near Hong Kong. Numerical experiments revealed that only the atmosphere–ocean–wave coupled model accurately predicted this intensity change, which was attributable to improved initial and lateral boundary conditions in addition to its air–sea interactions. These findings provide a historical reference for tropical cyclone warning services in Hong Kong and practical insights for meteorological authorities operating similar warning services in coastal regions worldwide.