The Hong Kong Observatory said it will issue the standby signal No 1 at 12:20 pm on Monday and will consider hoisting the strong wind signal No 3 between 8 pm and 10 pm, as Super Typhoon Ragasa edged closer to the city.
Ragasa will move across the Luzon Strait and enter the northern part of the South China Sea on Monday, the observatory said in a weather advisory.
At 8 am, the super typhoon was centered about 580 kilometers north-northeast of Manila. It is forecast to move west or west-northwest at about 22 km per hour across the Luzon Strait.
“The circulation of Ragasa is extensive and its speed of movement is relatively high. It will pose a considerable threat to the coast of Guangdong,” the city’s weather forecaster warned.
As of Monday morning, the maximum sustained wind speeds near Ragasa’s center reached 230 km per hour.
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It will be very hot over the coast of Guangdong from Monday to early Tuesday under the influence of Ragasa’s outer subsiding air, said the HKO.
Local winds will strengthen gradually on Tuesday and the weather will deteriorate rapidly, according to the observatory.
Gale to storm force winds were expected to prevail locally on Wednesday, and winds may reach hurricane force offshore and on high ground.
“There will be heavy squally showers, thunderstorms and significant storm surge on Wednesday. Seas will be very high with swells,” the observatory warned, adding that the sea level over coastal areas by then may be similar to that of Hato in 2017 and Mangkhut in 2018.
Winds will weaken gradually on Thursday and showers will ease off in the latter part of this week with the departure of Ragasa, according to the weather forecaster.
ALSO READ: 'Super typhoon' fears for HK residents as Ragasa likely to intensify
To prepare for the super typhoon, the city’s authorities had stepped up preparations and coordinated contingency measures to deal with severe flooding and landslides as Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki chaired a meeting of the steering committee on handling extreme weather on Sunday.
