Tropical Cyclone Matmo started to move away from Hong Kong on Sunday morning, with the typhoon signal No 3 expected to remain in force until this afternoon, according to the Hong Kong Observatory.

The HKO said in a weather bulletin that Matmo skirted more than 300 kilometers to the southwest of Hong Kong early on Sunday and started departing gradually, although there will still be occasional squally showers, thunderstorms, and intense gusts.

"According to the present forecast, local winds will weaken gradually in the afternoon. When strong winds no longer pose threats to Hong Kong generally, the observatory will consider issuing the Standby Signal, No 1," it added.

At 9 am, Matmo was estimated to be about 360 kilometers southwest of Hong Kong and was forecast to move west-northwest at about 22 kilometers per hour towards Leizhou Peninsula.

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The typhoon had maximum sustained wind speeds of 145 kph near its center, the observatory said.

 “Seas will be rough with swells. Members of the public are advised to stay away from the shoreline and not to engage in water sports,” it added.

With the Strong Wind Signal, No. 3 typhoon signal in force at least until noon, the Education Bureau suspended classes for kindergartens and schools for children with physical or mental disability in the city.

READ MORE: Observatory: HK could see up to eight typhoons this year

The HKO said showers will ease off later today and winds will weaken gradually, with the maximum temperature in Hong Kong expected to reach about 31 degrees Celsius during the day.

Macao

In Macao, the Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau raised the typhoon signal No 8 at 2 am on Sunday as Matmo moved closer to the city. The bureau later said it would consider lowering the warning signal to T3 between 12 pm and 3 pm today.