Over 280 flights cancelled, vehicle movement disrupted as Typhoon Wipha approaches Hong Kong
The observatory issued a No 3 typhoon warning on Saturday as Cyclone Wipha intensified and moved towards the Pearl River Delta.
Hong Kong International Airport has faced several cancellations of more than 146 incoming flights and over 134 departing ones on Sunday, reported the South China Morning Post.
Additionally, at least 14 inbound flights and eight outbound journeys scheduled for Saturday were also cancelled.
Wing Yeung Tat-wing, the airport authority's service delivery director warned that land transport to and from the airport would be affected under No 8 signal and completely suspended if higher warnings were issued.
'Arriving passengers will need to wait patiently in the terminal until the weather has eased and land transport has gradually resumed, before they can leave the airport,' he said.
To assist stranded travelers, the airport is deploying more than 1,000 staff to work overnight from Saturday, keeping more than 10 restaurants and convenience stores open, the news agency reported.
A temporary rest area with 500 chairs and mobile charging stations is also being set up, and affected passengers will receive supplies like bottled water, snacks and blankets.
Hong Kong's flag carrier, Cathay Pacific Airways, announced that all flights scheduled to arrive in or depart from the city between 5 am and 6 pm on Sunday would either be delayed or cancelled.
'We are making arrangements for all impacted customers to be rebooked to alternative flights,' it said, adding that the passengers would be notified by SMS or email of the alternative arrangements.
Cathay Pacific also joined HK Express, Hong Kong Airlines and Greater Bay Airlines, among others, in announcing they would waive the ticket changing fees for affected passengers.
The Observatory predicts Wipha's maximum sustained wind speed near its center will reach 130 km/hour around 8 pm on Sunday, warning of flooding in low-lying coastal areas, the South China Morning Post reported.
The tropical cyclone has already prompted the suspension of select ferry services, with the last boat for Discovery Bay from Mui Wo departing before 2pm.
In preparation, a meeting of the steering committee on interdepartmental handling of typhoons, chaired by Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki, had already been convened on Friday to prepare for Wipha's approach.
The Education Bureau also announced that Sunday classes at all day schools would be suspended, the news agency said.
Wet market vendors across Hong Kong enjoyed a surge in business as shoppers are stocking up on fresh food ahead of the typhoon.
Some vendor staff and owners at Sai Wan Ho Market told the Post they had seen an increase in sales and were planning to be shut on Sunday due to the anticipated bad weather.
While the shoppers were buying more, most avoided excessive purchases of fresh food such as meat and vegetables as they were used to the city's typhoon season in the summer.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Time of India
Monsoon break likely in early August; Gadgchiroli's Mulchera receives 240mm in 24 hours
Pune: Meteorologists have warned of a potential monsoon break in early Aug, a period traditionally prone to such disruptions, while triple-digit rainfall lashed multiple locations in Maharashtra, with Mulchera (240mm) in Gadchiroli emerging as one of the wettest stations in the 24-hour period ending Thursday morning. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Weather experts said preliminary signs suggested that the monsoon trough might shift northward because of a low-pressure system moving across central India. If this continues, it may signal the northward displacement of the monsoon trough. The positioning of the trough along the Himalayan foothills could trigger the season's first break-in-monsoon condition, they said. India Meteorological Department (IMD) said remnants of tropical cyclone 'Wipha' emerged over the north Bay of Bengal, leading to the formation of a low pressure area over the same region on Thursday. GP Sharma, president of Skymet Weather, said: "The low-pressure system that has formed over the Bay of Bengal will not behave like a normal monsoon system. Usually, these systems track along the eastern parts, move through central regions and progress to northern areas, possibly reaching Rajasthan. This system is, however, displaying somewhat different behaviour. There are specific reasons for this deviation." Sharma attributed the unusual pattern to an anticyclone system. "A strong anticyclone over northwest India may prevent the system from moving towards northwestern regions, potentially forcing its movement closer to Himalayan foothills and causing the trough line to shift north of its normal position. When the trough line shifts closer to the foothills of the Himalayas, rainfall reduces significantly over most western, southern and central parts, including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and the southern peninsula," Sharma said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He, however, said the next 3-4 days would provide a clearer picture. In an updated advisory, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services has revised its high-wave warning, now predicting higher waves of 3.8 to 4.7 metres along the coasts of Thane, Mumbai city and suburbs, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Palghar and Sindhudurg districts than previously predicted. The warning period has been extended from 5.30pm on Thursday to 8.30pm on Saturday. Small boats have been strictly advised against venturing into the sea during this period. Speaking about the likely break in monsoon, a senior IMD official said, "Early Aug is generally considered a break-prone period meteorologically. Some forecasts suggest that a break phase may occur in late July or early Aug. In one sense, a break phase can be beneficial. There has already been substantial rainfall over the core monsoon zone, so a pause allows for much-needed sunlight. At the same time, regions in the Himalayas and parts of northeast India that have so far received less rain may benefit too, as they often get more rainfall during such phases. " In a separate incident in Gadchiroli district, a gram sevak was successfully rescued after being trapped in the suddenly rising floodwaters of Kolpalli nullah in Gomani village. Police and local rescue teams responded immediately to ensure his safe evacuation. Pune: Meteorologists have warned of a potential monsoon break in early Aug, a period traditionally prone to such disruptions, while triple-digit rainfall lashed multiple locations in Maharashtra, with Mulchera (240mm) in Gadchiroli emerging as one of the wettest stations in the 24-hour period ending Thursday morning. Weather experts said preliminary signs suggested that the monsoon trough might shift northward because of a low-pressure system moving across central India. If this continues, it may signal the northward displacement of the monsoon trough. The positioning of the trough along the Himalayan foothills could trigger the season's first break-in-monsoon condition, they said. India Meteorological Department (IMD) said remnants of tropical cyclone 'Wipha' emerged over the north Bay of Bengal, leading to the formation of a low pressure area over the same region on Thursday. GP Sharma, president of Skymet Weather, said: "The low-pressure system that has formed over the Bay of Bengal will not behave like a normal monsoon system. Usually, these systems track along the eastern parts, move through central regions and progress to northern areas, possibly reaching Rajasthan. This system is, however, displaying somewhat different behaviour. There are specific reasons for this deviation." Sharma attributed the unusual pattern to an anticyclone system. "A strong anticyclone over northwest India may prevent the system from moving towards northwestern regions, potentially forcing its movement closer to Himalayan foothills and causing the trough line to shift north of its normal position. When the trough line shifts closer to the foothills of the Himalayas, rainfall reduces significantly over most western, southern and central parts, including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and the southern peninsula," Sharma said. He, however, said the next 3-4 days would provide a clearer picture. In an updated advisory, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services has revised its high-wave warning, now predicting higher waves of 3.8 to 4.7 metres along the coasts of Thane, Mumbai city and suburbs, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Palghar and Sindhudurg districts than previously predicted. The warning period has been extended from 5.30pm on Thursday to 8.30pm on Saturday. Small boats have been strictly advised against venturing into the sea during this period. Speaking about the likely break in monsoon, a senior IMD official said, "Early Aug is generally considered a break-prone period meteorologically. Some forecasts suggest that a break phase may occur in late July or early Aug. In one sense, a break phase can be beneficial. There has already been substantial rainfall over the core monsoon zone, so a pause allows for much-needed sunlight. At the same time, regions in the Himalayas and parts of northeast India that have so far received less rain may benefit too, as they often get more rainfall during such phases. " In a separate incident in Gadchiroli district, a gram sevak was successfully rescued after being trapped in the suddenly rising floodwaters of Kolpalli nullah in Gomani village. Police and local rescue teams responded immediately to ensure his safe evacuation.
Time of India
15 hours ago
- Time of India
Dry days may return to city as rain clouds recede
Chennai: Hot and dry days are likely to return after a spell of rainfall cooled the city and the suburbs over the past few days. While some parts of the city received evening showers on Thursday, weathermen said rain activity may gradually reduce in the coming days, with both day and night temperatures likely to rise, a trend that may last until the end of July. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The IMD downgraded the rain forecast for Friday from 'moderate' to 'light' for the city and suburbs. "On Friday, the city and neighbouring areas may receive one or two spells of light rainfall over some areas. The sky may be partly cloudy. Maximum temperature may be around 33°C-34°C and minimum temperature around 26°C-27°C," said an IMD bulletin. On Thursday evening, Nungambakkam and Meenambakkam recorded traces and 1.4mm rainfall after maximum temperatures touched 34.9°C and 34.8°C, about 0.3°C and 0.5°C below normal. This marked a rise from the previous days when temperatures dipped to 31°C, nearly 5°C below normal. Meteorologists said a low-pressure area, a remnant of Cyclone Wipha that hit Vietnam, formed over the north Bay of Bengal and may draw moisture away from the land. The cyclonic circulation over north coastal Andhra Pradesh, which brought rainfall to the city, may also merge with the upper air circulation linked to the low pressure. These atmospheric dynamics may lead to a steady flow of dry westerly winds over Tamil Nadu, limiting wind convergence-driven rainfall in the city and neighbouring districts. However, districts along the Western Ghats may receive heavy rain over the next two days as the southwest monsoon intensifies. "For the next week, the city may experience dry westerly winds. Rainfall may reduce, and maximum temperatures may rise by two to three degree Celsius," said Mahesh Palawat, chief meteorologist, Skymet Weather. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Since June 1, the city recorded 20cm rainfall, about 39% above normal, including 27cm in Nungambakkam (around 12cm above normal) and 11cm in Meenambakkam (around 6cm below normal). The state, meanwhile, registered 10cm rainfall, around 7% below normal.
Hindustan Times
18 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Monsoon likely to gain pace in UP from today: Weatherman
LUCKNOW The low pressure area created in the Bay of Bengal due to tropical cyclone 'Wipha' is likely to trigger rainfall in various parts of UP from Friday onwards, notified the weatherman. The rain forecast for the next two weeks indicated that from July 25 to 31, the average weekly rainfall in Bundelkhand and southern parts of Vindhya region of the state is likely to be more than normal.- (File Photo) There is a possibility of heavy rainfall in Sonbhadra and surrounding areas and chance of thunder/lightening in some parts of the state. Lucknow can receive rainfall on Saturday along with several parts of the state, said senior scientist at Lucknow Meteorological department, Mohammad Danish. 'From Friday, rainfall is likely to begin in eastern and western parts of UP, and in Lucknow from Saturday onwards. It is likely to last for over three-four days,' he said. 'Due to the advancement of low pressure area formed over North Bay of Bengal in the west- northwest direction, the activity of monsoon will increase in the state from July 25, due to which heavy rainfall, along with thunder and lightning, is likely in the southern and western parts of the state,' Danish added. The rain forecast for the next two weeks indicated that from July 25 to 31, the average weekly rainfall in Bundelkhand and southern parts of Vindhya region of the state is likely to be more than normal. Till date, there has been 251.6 mm rainfall in eastern UP while the normal rainfall in the region is 323.9 mm. Besides, there has been 324.7 mm rainfall in western UP while the normal in the region is 257mm.
