Hong Kong issues T8 signal and considers T9 as Typhoon Noul approaches
Observatory says Noul has intensified and is forecast to come within 100km of Hong Kong on Sunday morning
The Observatory issued the No 8 signal at 10.10pm on Saturday and said it would consider upgrading it to the No 9 warning as Typhoon Noul approached, with Hong Kong’s first major storm of the year causing the cancellation of hundreds of flights and high-speed rail services as well as triggering a scaffolding collapse.
More than 410 flights and 150 high-speed train services were cancelled while the Home Affairs Department said on Saturday that it had opened 28 shelters in anticipation of the approaching storm.
The Observatory said it would consider issuing the No 9 signal between 1am and 2am on Sunday.
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.
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 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.