The Hong Kong Observatory issued the standby signal No 1 at 12:20 pm on Monday and will hoist the strong wind signal No 3 at 9:40 pm, as Super Typhoon Ragasa edged closer to the city.
At noon, the super typhoon was estimated to be about 890 kilometers east-southeast of Hong Kong. It is forecast to move west or west-northwest at about 22 km per hour across the Luzon Strait and enter the northern part of the South China Sea, the HKO said in a weather advisory.
The observatory said it will consider issuing the gale or storm signal No 8 between 1 pm and 4 pm on Tuesday, as the local weather was expected to deteriorate rapidly.
“Under the influence of the extensive circulation of Ragasa, the weather over the coastal areas (of Guangdong) will deteriorate rapidly with winds strengthening significantly later tomorrow (Tuesday),” the city’s weather forecaster warned.
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"The weather will be persistently adverse on Wednesday. Gale to storm force winds will prevail locally, and winds may reach hurricane force offshore and on high ground," the HKO pointed out, adding that there will be frequent heavy squally showers and thunderstorms while seas will be very high with swells.
There will be a rise in water level of about 2.0 meters over coastal areas of Hong Kong under the influence of significant storm surge, according to the observatory. "The maximum water level can generally reach around 3.5 to 4.0 meters above chart datum."
Meanwhile, the very hot weather warning has also been issued as it will be very hot over the coast of Guangdong from Monday to early Tuesday under the influence of Ragasa’s outer subsiding air.
Winds will weaken gradually on Thursday and showers will ease off in the latter part of this week with the departure of Ragasa, according to the weather forecaster.
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To prepare for the super typhoon, the city’s authorities had stepped up preparations and coordinated contingency measures to deal with severe flooding and landslides as Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki chaired a meeting of the steering committee on handling extreme weather on Sunday.
