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Connor Mycroft

Olga Wong

Lam Ka-sing

The Hong Kong Observatory has lowered the storm signal to No 8, six hours after issuing the No 9 warning, with Typhoon Noul skirting as close as 80km (50 miles) to the northeast of the city.
More than 410 flights and 150 high-speed train services were cancelled while the Home Affairs Department said that it had opened 29 shelters in anticipation of the approaching typhoon, Hong Kong’s first major storm of the year.
“Noul is moving northwestward steadily, skirting about 80km to the northeast of [Hong Kong]. With Noul moving into inland Guangdong and weakening progressively, the Observatory will issue the gale or storm signal No 8 at 7.10am,” the forecaster said on Sunday.
“Local winds are expected to become southwesterlies gradually. Areas which were previously sheltered may become exposed. Seas will be high with swells. Members of the public should remain on the alert.”
At 7am, Noul was centred at about 80km northeast of Hong Kong and is forecast to move northwest or north-northwest at about 15km/h (9mph) crossing inland Guangdong.
It said at 5.45am that around 30mm of rainfall had been recorded over the eastern part of the New Territories in the past hour. The Observatory issued the amber rainstorm warning – the lowest level in a three-tier system – at 5am.
The Observatory upgraded the typhoon signal to No 9 at 1.10am after issuing the No 8 warning three hours earlier at 10.10pm on Saturday. It said the No 9 signal was expected to remain in force until at least 7am. Depending on the change in local wind conditions, the Observatory said it would assess the need to issue the No 10 hurricane signal.




The city remained largely quiet on Saturday night. Some people, including mainland Chinese visitors, strolled along the waterfront in Tsim Sha Tsui while taking photos and enjoying the windy conditions after 10.30pm, with one person pushing a covered baby trolley.
Those lingering at the waterfront were later reminded by Civil Aid Service officers to leave, including a middle-aged man who was fishing there.
The sea off the Heng Fa Chuen residential estate, an area known for flooding in previous years, began to get turbulent with small waves forming. Staff put up flood gates and barriers in some places.
The MTR Corporation said it would add an extra train at 1am from the airport to Hong Kong station to carry passengers to the city centre.




The city’s leader, John Lee Ka-chiu, said in a Facebook post on Saturday evening that he had instructed all related departments to be prepared, with a contingency plan ready to tackle the possible threats of the typhoon.
Lee added that a district consultation forum scheduled on Sunday to discuss the city’s first five-year plan and the coming policy address would also be postponed to ensure the safety of participants.
The forecaster earlier said that Noul had intensified and was forecast to come within 100km (62 miles) of the city on Sunday morning.
The Education Bureau also suspended all remaining classes on Saturday while calling on schools to implement contingency measures to ensure the safety of students.
The forecaster said: “Under the influence of the rainbands of Noul, there will be frequent heavy squally showers and thunderstorms [on Sunday in Hong Kong]. Seas will be rough with swells.
“Members of the public should complete all precautions as soon as possible, stay away from the shoreline and not engage in water sports, and pay close attention to the latest weather information issued by the Observatory.”

Police said they received numerous calls at about 4.11pm on Saturday about scaffolding collapsing along Cheung Sha Wan Road.
A video clip of the incident shows multi-storey scaffolding on a high-rise tower under construction collapsing and crashing onto a building below. No injuries have been reported.
In a separate incident in Kwun Tong, police said a passer-by was hit by a loose metal gate outside a construction site at 64 Hoi Yuen Road.
A clip of the incident shows the gate – unattached and leaning against a fence – being blown by a gust of wind and landing on a man passing by.
Police said the man reported the incident and told authorities he did not require ambulance services.



The Observatory said that wind gusts of up to 110km/h were recorded in certain parts of the city in the hour before 4.45pm.
The forecaster issued the No 3 typhoon signal at 1.20pm.
A check of the Hong Kong airport’s website showed at least 59 flight cancellations on Saturday and 352 for Sunday.
Cathay Pacific said it had cancelled all its flights in and out of Hong Kong between 1.15am and 6pm on Sunday.
“A small number of other flights will be delayed as we set up our flying plan to resume once the typhoon passes,” it said. “We have also waived rebooking fees, rerouting fees and allowing full refunds.”
Hong Kong Airlines also said it had cancelled a number of flights in light of the storm and would waive all fees for rebooking, rerouting and refunds for tickets.

Steven Yiu Si-wing, acting chief executive officer of the Airport Authority, called on passengers to confirm their flights before heading to the airport.
“We believe some flights will be affected and [airlines] have already activated the mechanism for flight rearrangements,” he said, adding that the authority would provide more updates on Sunday morning.
The MTR Corp said it received notification from mainland China’s railway authorities that due to the weather, some high-speed rail services between the West Kowloon terminus and mainland stations would be cancelled from Saturday until Monday.
A check showed that 32 high-speed trains were cancelled on Saturday and a further 118 on Sunday. Two trains were also cancelled on Monday.
“The MTR will continue to coordinate with mainland railway authorities regarding corresponding train service arrangements based on weather conditions in both regions,” it said.
Earlier on Saturday, the mainland’s National Meteorological Centre issued an orange typhoon alert – the second-highest level in a four-tier system – as authorities across the border suspended classes and began evacuations in parts of the south of the country.
The typhoon arrived only two weeks after Maysak and Bavi, which caused havoc across large swathes of the mainland – stretching from Guangxi in the far south to Jilin and Liaoning in the northeast – and caused at least 39 deaths.
State broadcaster CCTV warned that although Noul was not especially large, it was moving quickly and growing in strength.
Huang Kunming, Guangdong’s party secretary, said Noul would be the first typhoon to make direct landfall in the province this year, and that he had told local authorities to be “combat ready” to act and minimise damage from the storm.
At 11pm, Noul was estimated to be about 150km (93 miles) east-southeast of Hong Kong. It was forecast to move northwest at about 18km/h (11 mph) across the northeastern part of the South China Sea, in the general direction of the Guangdong coast.

A concert by singer-songwriter Ian Chan Cheuk-yin, a member of Cantopop boy band Mirror, in the grand hall of Kai Tak Arena started two hours early and ended just before 9pm under special arrangements due to the typhoon.
Kai Tak Sports Park said that all community activities and sports facility bookings would be cancelled during the typhoon.
The Housing Authority said its contractors had implemented preventive measures at construction sites to mitigate the impact of the storm, including inspecting scaffolding and covering slopes with tarpaulins.
The Civil Engineering and Development Department said it was implementing an emergency response action plan for certain low-lying and coastal areas across Hong Kong to mitigate the risk of flooding.
According to the forecast, Noul is expected to make landfall between Huizhou and Shanwei on Sunday morning, bringing frequent heavy squally showers and thunderstorms.
The name Noul, provided by North Korea, means “glowing crimson skies”.


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Hong Kong weather

Typhoon Noul: Hong Kong downgrades T9 signal to T8

A section of scaffolding has collapsed at a building along Cheung Sha Wan Road. Photo: Karma Lo

A section of scaffolding collapsed onto a building. Photo: Karma Lo

Cathay Pacific says it has cancelled all its flights in and out of Hong Kong between 1.15am and 6pm on Sunday.  Photo: May Tse

Travellers take a rest at Hong Kong International Airport. Photo: Dickson Lee

Hundreds of flights have already been cancelled. Photo: Dickson Lee

The Hong Kong Observatory issued the No 3 typhoon signal at 1.20pm. Photo: Edmond So

Pedestrians shield themselves with umbrellas during a sudden downpour in Tsim Sha Tsui on Saturday. Photo: Karma Lo

Hong Kong Disneyland rolls out afternoon tickets, extra cooling to beat the heat

The Pixar Summer Fest features a water-themed parade and a range of themed frozen treats designed for the season. Photo: Elson Li

The latest initiatives encourage visitors to use indoor attractions and entertainment during the hottest parts of the day. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Hong Kong may consider issuing T3 signal on Saturday as Noul edges closer

The city’s weather forecaster has said T1 will be issued at 8.40pm on Friday. Photo: Sam Tsang

News

Hong Kong

Weather

Storm is skirting as close as 80km to the northeast of Hong Kong, moving into inland Guangdong and weakening progressively, forecaster says


Storm is skirting as close as 80km to the northeast of Hong Kong, moving into inland Guangdong and weakening progressively, forecaster says.


Typhoon Noul: Hong Kong downgrades T9 signal to T8

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Storm is skirting as close as 80km to the northeast of Hong Kong, moving into inland Guangdong and weakening progressively, forecaster says

Storm is skirting as close as 80km to the northeast of Hong Kong, moving into inland Guangdong and weakening progressively, forecaster says