Hong Kong’s weather forecaster will issue typhoon signal No. 3 at 12:20 pm on Saturday as Tropical Cyclone Matmo is edging closer to the city.
Local winds are forecast to strengthen gradually later during the day, the Hong Kong Observatory said in a news bulletin at 9:45 am.
“Matmo is expected to intensify progressively and edge closer to the vicinity of Leizhou Peninsula.”
READ MORE: Unsettled weather forecast as Tropical Cyclone Matmo nears HK
Depending on the intensity of Matmo, the distance of its gale winds from the Pearl River Estuary, and the change in local wind conditions, the observatory will assess the need for issuing higher tropical cyclone warning signals on Saturday night.
The Education Bureau has suspended classes of kindergartens, schools for children with physical disability, and schools for children with intellectual disability after noon on Saturday. But the schools have been advised to keep their premises open and implement contingency measures to look after arriving students.
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The warning comes as the city is experiencing very hot weather.
The maximum temperature during the day will be around 33 degrees Celsius in the urban areas, and a couple of degrees higher in the New Territories, according to the observatory.
It will become cloudy with a few squally showers and thunderstorms later in the day, but there will be more showers gradually, it added.
Warning that seas are rough with swells, the observatory advised people to stay away from the shoreline and not to engage in water sports.
The tropical cyclone comes less than two weeks after storm Ragasa lashed Hong Kong with super typhoon wind force, prompting the authorities to issue the highest typhoon alert – Hurricane Signal No. 10.
READ MORE: HK in recovery mode after Ragasa onslaught
At least 101 people were hurt, many parts of the city were submerged due to flooding, schools and businesses were closed down, and flights were suspended for 36 hours during the Sept 24 typhoon.
