Hong Kong hunkers down as Typhoon Saola approaches | cnn

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Schools closed and flights were canceled as Hong Kong issued its third highest storm warning early Friday morning in anticipation of Typhoon Saola, which is expected to hit the city later that day and could be its worst storm in five. years.

Saola lost its super typhoon status as winds dropped from 150 miles per hour (240 kilometers per hour) to 140 mph (220 kph), though it remains the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane. The storm previously affected parts of northeastern Philippines.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center projects the storm to move closer to Hong Kong and southern China’s Guangdong province on Friday night, but the center of the storm will remain offshore. The storm is expected to weaken as it approaches and become the equivalent of a Category 2 hurricane.

The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) issued a T8 storm warning signal at 2:40 am local time on Friday morning, rising from the lower category T3 on Thursday afternoon.

During a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Hong Kong Chief Secretary Eric Chan announced that all schools would be closed on Friday, which was scheduled to be the first day of the academic year for most institutions.

Depending on the final trajectory of the typhoon, HKO has warned that higher signals are possible. The city’s highest storm warning alert is a T10 sign, which was last issued in 2018 for Typhoon Mangkhut.

During Thursday’s press conference, experts suggested storm surge in Saola could reach levels similar to those seen in Mangkhut, which has killed 10 people in neighboring Macau and caused extensive damage in Hong Kong.

Before the typhoon, Hong Kong’s flagship airline Cathay Pacific halted all flights to and from Hong Kong from Friday afternoon to Saturday morning, the airline said in a statement on Thursday.

“With the exception of CX840/September 1 to New York-JFK, all Cathay Pacific flights arriving and departing Hong Kong between 2pm Friday, September 1 and 10am Saturday, September 2 have been cancelled. “, Cathay Pacific he said on his website.

Cathay Pacific warned of possible flight delays and cancellations “depending on weather conditions and the path of the typhoon on Saturday morning.”

Passengers will be rebooked on the next scheduled flight if their current flight is canceled or delayed, Cathay Pacific said. The airline also urged customers to check the status of their flight before going to the airport.

Hong Kong is no stranger to tropical cyclones and typhoons and generally has a good record over the past few decades of surviving even low casualty direct hits.

The last T8 warning was issued in July for Typhoon Talim and three had been issued the year before, according to HKO.