Hong Kong Observatory issues typhoon signal No 1 as tropical cyclone Bailu comes within 800km on the way to Taiwan and mainland China

The Hong Kong Observatory on Saturday afternoon issued the typhoon signal No 1 as tropical cyclone Bailu came within 800km of the city as it sped towards Taiwan and mainland China.

The Guangdong region, including Hong Kong, experienced very hot weather under the influence of the tropical cyclone, with maximum temperatures exceeding 36 degrees in parts of the New Territories.

Visibility in Victoria Harbour fell to around 3,000 metres with the city blanketed in haze. The air quality health index reached a “serious” risk level – the highest on the city’s five-point scale – at 14 stations across the city.

The weather forecaster said Bailu would remain far from the city tonight and chance where slim that it would escalate to a No 3 Strong Wind Signal before midnight. Local winds generally do not strengthen but the high temperatures could trigger occasional showers and thunderstorms overnight.

The observatory said the city would be stuck with high temperature in the coming week, peaking at 34 degrees Celsius on Wednesday. Rain is expected until Tuesday.

Bailu, which means “white deer” in Mandarin, is the third tropical cyclone to trigger a warning signal in Hong Kong this year after Mun and Wipha, which reached a No. 8 signal in late July.

Bailu was expected to affect Taiwan and regions of mainland China in coming days. The cyclone was 120km southeast of Kaohsiung, in southern Taiwan, at noon and landed in the island’s southernmost Pingtung County at about 1pm.

The storm kept moving northwest at the speed of about 26km per hour, with maximum swirling wind speed near the centre at 30m/s, and occasionally 38m/s, according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau.