Tropical Cyclone Saudel is expected to gradually weaken after making landfall in East China's Fujian province on Thursday morning, Hong Kong’s weather forecaster said as it decided to keep the No 1 typhoon warning signal in force for the day.

The lowest-tier Standby Signal, No 1 – which means a tropical cyclone is within 800 kilometers of Hong Kong – will stay in force as local winds were occasionally strong offshore and on high ground due the combined effect of Saudel and the northeast monsoon, the Hong Kong Observatory said a weather bulletin in the morning.

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“According to the present forecast track, Saudel will move west across the inland areas of eastern Guangdong later today and weaken gradually,” reads the bulletin.

The tropical cyclone is expected to edge closer to the vicinity of the Pearl River Estuary on Friday but “there are uncertainties in its degree of weakening,” it added.

Depending on Saudel’s intensity, the distance of its associated strong winds from the Pearl River Estuary, and changes in local wind conditions, the HKO will assess the need for issuing the Strong Wind Signal, No 3 when it is close to the estuary.

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As of 10 am Thursday, Saudel was estimated to be about 360 km east-northeast of Hong Kong and was forecast to be slow-moving at first before moving west at about 12 kph across the vicinity of the coast of eastern Guangdong.

Hong Kong is expected to have sunny periods with one or two showers on Thursday and mainly cloudy weather with a few squally showers on Friday, the observatory added.