China, Japan brace for storm, typhoons
Hong Kong battens down for 110km winds
HONG KONG: Two typhoons and a tropical storm were swirling around the coasts of China and Japan yesterday with Hong Kong preparing to batten down for strong winds and rain.
Severe tropical storm Linfa, packing maximum wind speeds of up to 110kph near its centre, was about 130km northeast of Hong Kong by late yesterday afternoon and was set to hit overnight.
The stronger severe typhoon Chanhom, with maximum winds of 155kph, was hurtling towards the northern coast of Taiwan yesterday and was expected to make landfall in eastern China tomorrow, near the coastal cities of Wenzhou and Taizhou.
A third typhoon, Nangka, currently in the Pacific Ocean north of Guam, was heading towards the southeastern coast of Japan, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, but was not due to make landfall in the next five days.
The Hong Kong Observatory raised its “T8” storm signal — its third-highest — late yesterday afternoon with hundreds of office workers heading home to avoid the bad weather.
Kindergartens were shut in the morning with container ports closed from the early afternoon.
Authorities also closed off a popular seaside promenade overlooking the city’s famous Victoria Harbour and skyline as tourists grappled with umbrellas in the wind.
The Hong Kong Airport Authority said more than 500 flights would be affected by the storm but that so far there have been no cancellations.
“We will implement flight rescheduling involving 520 flights to and from Hong Kong,” an airport authority spokesman said.
Television images showed powerful waves hitting cities on the eastern coast of Guangdong, a Chinese province, as the storm passed over en route to Hong Kong.
Linfa made landfall at Guandong’s Jiazi Harbour yesterday afternoon.