Manila Bulletin

Typhoon Nida shuts Hong Kong, more than 150 flights canceled

- Japan's Emperor Akihito (Reuters) A vehicle drives among trees uprooted by strong winds from Typhoon Nida in Hong Kong, China August 2, 2016. (Reuters)

HONGKONG/BEIJING (Reuters) — Typhoon Nida swept through Hong Kong on Tuesday, shutting down most of the financial hub and disrupting hundreds of flights with gale-force winds, while low-lying areas were put on flood alert.

Hong Kong's first major typhoon this year brought gusts of more than 100 km per hour (62 mph) and prompted authoritie­s to issue an amber warning, signifying heavy rain, at 5.20 a.m. Hong Kong time.

More than 150 flights were canceled, the Airport Authority said, with Cathay Pacific and Dragonair warning none of their flights would be operating until 2 p.m. at the earliest.

Thousands of passengers were stranded at the airport and about 325 flights are expected to be reschedule­d.

The city's ferry, tram and bus services gradually resumed in the afternoon after the Hong Kong Observator­y lowered the tropical cyclone warning to 3 from 8, shortly after midday.

TOKYO (Reuters) — Pope Benedict XVI did it. Dutch Queen Beatrix did it. So why is it so hard for Japan's elderly emperor to abdicate?

Public broadcaste­r NHK reported last month that Emperor Akihito, 82,

Trading in Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEx), including Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect trading, and the derivative­s market, would be suspended for the rest of the day.

The Chinese Gold and Silver Exchange Society suspended trading on Tuesday morning.

Streets had been largely deserted and shops shuttered since Monday evening when the typhoon signal 8 was hoisted, prompting many people to leave work early.

Nida was moving inland and winds near its center had showed signs of weakening, the Hong Kong Observator­y said.

Across the border, part of Guangdong province closed offices, factories and schools as the typhoon swept across the southern part of the metropolis of Guangzhou.

Airports in the southern part of the province, including Shenzhen and Zhuhai, canceled most flights while more than 35,000 people were evacuated, state media reported.

Last month, Typhoon Nepartak drove at least 420,000 people from their homes and caused more than 7.1 billion yuan ($1.1 billion) in losses in China's Fujian province alone.

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