Typhoon Noul: Hong Kong downgrades T9 signal to T8
Storm is skirting as close as 80km to the northeast of Hong Kong, moving into inland Guangdong and weakening progressively, forecaster says
The Hong Kong Observatory has lowered the storm signal to No 8, six hours after issuing the No 9 warning, with Typhoon Noul skirting as close as 80km (50 miles) to the northeast of the city.
More than 410 flights and 150 high-speed train services were cancelled while the Home Affairs Department said that it had opened 29 shelters in anticipation of the approaching typhoon, Hong Kong’s first major storm of the year.
“Noul is moving northwestward steadily, skirting about 80km to the northeast of [Hong Kong]. With Noul moving into inland Guangdong and weakening progressively, the Observatory will issue the gale or storm signal No 8 at 7.10am,” the forecaster said on Sunday.
“Local winds are expected to become southwesterlies gradually. Areas which were previously sheltered may become exposed. Seas will be high with swells. Members of the public should remain on the alert.”
At 7am, Noul was centred at about 80km northeast of Hong Kong and is forecast to move northwest or north-northwest at about 15km/h (9mph) crossing inland Guangdong.
It said at 5.45am that around 30mm of rainfall had been recorded over the eastern part of the New Territories in the past hour. The Observatory issued the amber rainstorm warning – the lowest level in a three-tier system – at 5am.
The Observatory upgraded the typhoon signal to No 9 at 1.10am after issuing the No 8 warning three hours earlier at 10.10pm on Saturday. It said the No 9 signal was expected to remain in force until at least 7am. Depending on the change in local wind conditions, the Observatory said it would assess the need to issue the No 10 hurricane signal.