Update | Typhoon Warning Centre downgrades Soudelor but Hong Kong Observatory disagrees

Tropical cyclone Soudelor has been downgraded from a category five typhoon according to the latest forecast by the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre, but Hong Kong Observatory hasn’t done the same, saying it still warrants a higher rating.

Tropical cyclone Soudelor has dropped slightly in wind speed and been downgraded by the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre, but it is still the seventh strongest typhoon of the past six years.

Soudelor was downgraded from a super typhoon to a typhoon on Wednesday morning by the centre, but the Hong Kong Observatory said it would be keeping the higher rating.

While maximum wind speeds remained at a roaring 105 knots, or 194km/h, as of midday on Wednesday, the typhoon – earlier described as the biggest storm of the year – had apparently calmed from the peak of its intensity seen on Tuesday.

According to the Hong Kong Observatory, Typhoon Soudelor was the equal seventh strongest super typhoon to hit the region since 2010 and only the fourth highest expected to reach mainland China.

The strongest super typhoon to hit the region in the past five years was Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013, which reacher 285km/h and had a devastating impact on the Phillipines.

Hong Kong Observatory forecaster Yeung Wai-Lung said they were keeping the storm ranked as a super typhoon due to the current maximum wind analysis they had conducted.