Most of Hong Kong and other parts of southern China yesterday ground to a near standstill, with classes and flights canceled as powerful Typhoon Saola approached.
Many workers stayed at home and students in various cities saw the start of their school year postponed to next week. Trading on Hong Kong’s stock market was suspended and hundreds of people were stranded at the airport after about 460 flights were canceled in the key regional business and travel hub.
Rail authorities in mainland China suspened all trains entering or leaving Guangdong Province from last night to tonight, China Central Television reported.
Photo: Reuters
The Hong Kong Observatory issued a No. 9 storm signal, the second-highest warning under the territory’s weather system.
It said Saola — with maximum sustained winds of 210kph — would be closest to the territory at about midnight, about 40km south of the Tsim Sha Tsui shopping district.
The eyewall of Saola was moving across the territory at about 8pm, bringing torrential rain to the territory, it said.
The alert might be upgraded to a No. 10 signal if the winds strengthened further, observatory Director Chan Pak-wai (陳?緯) said.
A No. 10 hurricane warning was last issued when Super Typhoon Mangkhut hit Hong Kong in 2018.
Chan said he expected winds to gradually weaken today, as the typhoon moves away from Hong Kong.
The observatory warned of serious flooding in coastal areas and said the maximum water level might be similar to when Mangkhut felled trees and tore scaffolding off buildings in the territory.
Weather authorities in the nearby gambling hub of Macau also warned of flooding, forecasting that water levels might reach 1.5m in low-lying areas this morning.
The cross-border bridge connecting Hong Kong, Macau and Zhuhai City was closed at mid-afternoon yesterday.
In the technology and finance hub of Shenzhen, the emergency management bureau ordered a suspension of work, businesses and public transport, with the typhoon expected to hit the city or nearby areas last night.
Use of highways in the city was banned except for rescue crews.
China’s National Meteorological Center said that Saola could make landfall from Huidong County to Taishan City in Guangdong Province, which neighbors Hong Kong, between last night and this morning.
It said the storm could also move west near central Guangdong.
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