The Hong Kong Observatory said that the No 8 typhoon signal, the city’s third-highest gale or storm warning, will stay in force until noon Sunday, with Typhoon Noul lashing the territory and forcing an extended halt to most public transport and daily commercial operations.

The observatory said that it will issue the No 3 strong wind signal at 12:40 pm as local winds are expected to weaken while the typhoon departs from the city.  

The weather forecaster earlier downgraded the typhoon signal to No 8 at 7:10 am, following six hours under the more formidable No 9 warning. Saturday’s build-up had seen the No 3 signal posted at 1:20 pm, later ratcheted up to No 8 at 10:10 pm as the typhoon edged closer.

In a 9:45 am bulletin, the observatory said winds with mean speeds of 63 kilometers per hour or more were expected to persist well into the day. It urged residents to stay indoors until the winds moderate.

Noul made landfall in Huizhou, Guangdong, at 4 am.

“Noul was centered about 90 kilometers north of Hong Kong Observatory and is forecast to move north-northwest at about 15 kilometers per hour into inland Guangdong and continue to weaken,” reads the HKO bulletin.

Gale-force winds littered city streets with debris. The Drainage Services Department reported one confirmed flooding incident.

ALSO READ: HKO: 4 to 7 typhoons may hit Hong Kong this year

Meanwhile, the government’s public service hotline fielded 35 reports of fallen trees by 10 am, while the Fire Services Department recorded 153.

As of 10 am, 18 people – seven males and 11 females – had been injured during the typhoon, the Hospital Authority said, adding that they received treatment at public hospitals.

AAHK: Flights to resume around noon

Speaking to reporters on Sunday morning, an Airport Authority Hong Kong spokesperson said flights are expected to resume around noon and that the Hong Kong International Airport would remain busy through the evening.

Overnight services would be considered if needed, the spokesperson said, adding that normal operations were expected on Monday morning.

The spokesperson said the airport had managed 675 flights since the storm began, with about 350 canceled thus far.

The Airport Express also resumed service at 9 am on Sunday, the Airport Authority said.

The city’s flag carrier Cathay Pacific said it had scrapped all flights to and from Hong Kong from 1:15 am to 6 pm on Sunday, with many of its other services also facing delays.

Budget airline Hong Kong Express also cancelled multiple flights, grounding seven on Saturday and 25 on Sunday, with the disruptions mostly affecting routes between Hong Kong and Taiwan, Bangkok, and Vietnam.

Greater Bay Airlines cancelled its flights between Hong Kong and Taipei for Saturday night and Sunday. Hong Kong Airlines said it had called off several flights on Saturday evening and Sunday between Hong Kong and Bangkok, as well as those going to Tokyo and Osaka in Japan.

The Mass Transit Railway, Hong Kong’s railway operator, has confirmed that some part of high-speed rail services between Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Station and various Chinese mainland cities will be cancelled from Saturday through to Monday.

READ MORE: HKO: ‘Dim-sum’ among nine new names for this year's typhoons

As for the city’s local railway network, the MTR is providing a limited service this morning, with most trains departing every 15 minutes and open‑air sections largely out of service.

The operator said that train lines with long above-ground stretches – including the East Rail Line, Tuen Ma Line, Airport Express, Tung Chung Line and Light Rail – would require additional time to fully resume service after the storm alert was reduced to No 8.

Several of Hong Kong’s main bus operators said most of their daytime routes will start resuming services from 12:40 pm.

In a notification on Sunday morning, the Education Bureau said classes of all day schools, including secondary schools, primary schools, special schools, kindergartens, and kindergarten-cum-child care centers, were suspended while arrangements for evening schools will be announced later.

Contact the writer at: wanqing@chinadailyhk.com