Super Typhoon Saola, which is currently northeast of the Philippines, will be within 400 km from Hong Kong on Friday and will be closest to the city on Saturday, according to the Hong Kong Observatory. The city’s meteorological body said that another weather system, Tropical Cyclone Haikui, may affect the track of Saola.
“Tropical Cyclone Saola will enter within 800 km of Hong Kong in the next couple of days, and will move towards the coastal area of eastern Guangdong to southern Fujian,” said observatory authorities on Tuesday.
However, the meteorological body said that Saola’s track is uncertain and that it may move “westwards along the coastal waters of Guangdong or weaken over the inland areas of southeastern China”. Officials may issue tropical cyclone warning signals in the “next couple of days”.
Observatory officials predict that the weather will be mainly cloudy with a showers and thunderstorms for the rest of Tuesday, which may be “heavier at times”. This will be followed by “sunny periods in the next couple of days”. It is expected to be windier with a few showers towards the weekend”.
Currently, Saola is predicted to maintain its super typhoon status until Thursday, and is forecast to weaken to a typhoon on Saturday, when it will be closest to Hong Kong. Haikui, which is presently a severe tropical storm, will move towards the eastern coast of Mainland China and is not expected to come within 800 km of Hong Kong.
So far, Hong Kong has experienced only one tropical cyclone this year, when Typhoon Talim hit the city in mid-July. At the time, the observatory raised Gale or Storm Signal No. 8. As a result, bus and ferry services were cancelled and the MTR ran at less frequent intervals.
Read our guide to know how to prepare for a typhoon in Hong Kong.
Header image credits: Pavliha via Canva
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