Typhoon Saola: Flights cancelled, schools closed in Hong Kong
File photo.
Hundreds of flights have been cancelled and schools have been closed in Hong Kong on Friday (September 1) as Super Typhoon Saola nears. The city's flagship carrier Cathay Pacific said all flights in and out of Hong Kong between 2 pm(06.00 GMT) on Friday and 10 am(02.00 GMT) on Saturday have been cancelled.
According to a report by the news agency Reuters, Saola is packing winds of over 200 kilometres per hour (kph) and is moving towards the coast of China's Guangdong province which encompasses Hong Kong. Flights have also been cancelled in Guangdong.
China's National Meteorological Centre said that Saola could make landfall Friday night or Saturday morning as a severe typhoon along the coast from Huidong to Taishan in Guangdong. Hong Kong and neighbouring Macau lie in the centre of that coastline.
Businesses and financial markets closed
The government in Hong Kong said that all schools would be closed on Friday despite the first day of term for many students. Reuters reported that schools would also be closed in Shenzhen and Guangzhou. Shenzhen went a step further and suspended work, businesses and financial markets from Friday afternoon.
According to the Hong Kong Observatory, weather conditions could deteriorate rapidly as Saola makes landfall. The observatory said it would consider the need to issue higher cyclone warning signals later on Friday, adding it expects heavy rain and violent winds while the city's water level is expected to "rise appreciably" until Saturday.
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Signal 8 in force in Hong Kong
Hong Kong has five rankings for typhoons- 1, 3, 8, 9 and 10, and currently Signal 8 is in force. On Thursday, supermarkets across the city saw long queues with people stocking up ahead of the typhoon.
Local media reported that the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge which connects all three cities would be closed from Friday afternoon to ensure of transport safety.
Meanwhile, authorities in Guangdong said that all trains in and out of the Chinese province from Friday 8 pm (12.00 GMT) to Saturday 6 pm (10.00 GMT) will be non-operational.
(With inputs from agencies)
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