T8 Northeast Signal issued at 12:20am
At midnight, Wipha was about 280km east-southeast of Hong Kong. Image courtesy of the Observatory
The Observatory issued the Number 8 Northeast Gale or Storm Signal at 12:20am on Sunday, as Severe Tropical Storm Wipha intensified into a typhoon and edged closer to Hong Kong.
At midnight, Wipha was about 280km east-southeast of Hong Kong. It was forecast to move west or west-northwest at about 25km per hour towards the coast of Guangdong, and move "rather close to the vicinity of the Pearl River Estuary".
Local winds were expected to reach gale to storm force on Sunday, with frequent heavy squally showers and thunderstorms, the Observatory added.
"Depending on the distance between Wipha and Hong Kong, and the change in local wind condition, the Observatory will assess the need for issuing higher tropical cyclone warning signals Sunday morning," senior scientific officer Lee Shuk-ming said.
Members of the public have been urged to pay attention to the latest weather information from the Observatory and complete all precautionary measures as soon as possible.
KMB and Citybus said overnight services would be suspended from 2am onwards.
The MTR announced it would arrange four extra departures for the Airport Express at 1:15am, 1:45am, 2:15am, and 2:45am to take passengers to the city.
In terms of cross-boundary travel, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge will close at 3:30am, while shuttle buses between Lok Ma Chau and Huanggang Port will continue to provide limited service.
Classes of all day schools and child care centres will be suspended on Sunday, the Education Bureau said.
The Trade Development Council said the ongoing Book Fair, Sports and Leisure Expo, and World of Snacks in Wan Chai will be suspended. If the Number 8 signal is lowered at or before 4:30pm, the fairs will reopen within two hours.
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