The hurricane signal No. 10, Hong Kong’s highest-tier typhoon alert, will remain in force for some time on Wednesday as Super Typhoon Ragasa was departing from the city gradually but its associated hurricane force winds were still affecting the southwestern part of the territory occasionally.

Winds were expected to become southeasterlies gradually and the weather will be persistently adverse with frequent heavy squally showers and thunderstorms, the Hong Kong Observatory said in a bulletin Wednesday morning.

At 11 am, Ragasa was centered about 150 km southwest of Hong Kong and is forecast to move west or west-northwest at about 22 km per hour, edging closer to the vicinity of the western coast of Guangdong, according to the observatory.

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“The circulation of Ragasa is extensive and its hurricane force winds are still expected to affect the southern part of the territory this morning (Tuesday morning),” the HKO warned, advising people to be on high alert and beware of destructive winds.

The typhoon signal was upgraded to No. 10 at 2:40 am, one hour after issuing the increasing gale or storm signal No. 9.

Local winds will veer gradually from easterlies to southeasterlies in the morning and areas which were previously sheltered may become exposed, the weather forecaster added.

High waves

“Seas will be phenomenal with swells. There will be overtopping waves over the shoreline, which will be particularly significant along the eastern and southern coasts,” said the observatory.

Around 2 to 3 meters of rise in water level were expected over the coast as Ragasa was bringing significant storm surge, with the water level still rising progressively and expected to reach the maximum around noon to around 4 meters above chart datum, according to the bulletin.

Used on nautical charts, chart datum is a reference level so low that the tide will not frequently fall below it.

The water level over the eastern coast of Hong Kong has generally risen to more than 3 meters above chart datum at 8 am, and the water level at Tai Po Kau even exceeded 3.7 meters above chart datum, according to the observatory.

ALSO READ: Classes, flights suspended as Super Typhoon Ragasa approaches

Rainstrom warning

The amber rainstorm warning signal was issued at 2:45 am, indicating that heavy rain has fallen or is expected to fall, exceeding 30 millimeters in an hour, and is likely to continue.

Winds will weaken gradually at night but showers will still be heavy at first on Thursday and the weather will improve gradually in the following couple of days, the observatory added.

Meanwhile, the landslip warning and the special announcement on flooding in northern New Territories had also been issued.

Family rescued

During the super typhoon, three members from a family were rescued after falling into the sea near Chai Wan, the Hong Kong Police Force said on Tuesday.

The family of four was watching waves from a breakwater when the mother and the 5-year-old son were swept into the sea. The father jumped in immediately in an attempt to rescue them.

Boatmen nearby helped pull the three from the water before firefighters arrived on the scene and took them to the hospital.

The mother and the boy were hospitalized in an unconscious but stable condition. The father remained conscious.

It was the second time this year the HKO issued the hurricane signal No 10. The last time was in July 20 when Typhoon Wipha battered Hong Kong with hurricane-force winds and heavy squally showers.

With Xinhua’s inputs