The Hong Kong Observatory raised the T8 storm signal at 5.40am on Tuesday morning, as Tropical Cyclone Nangka skirted the southern Chinese coast. The T8 signal is expected to remain in force throughout the day.
Schools have closed, public ferry services and buses have been suspended and most MTR services are running at 10 minute intervals. “Tropical Cyclone Nangka will move in the general direction of the vicinity of Hainan Island today and intensify gradually. Under the combined effect of Nangka and the northeast monsoon, there will be high winds, heavy rain and thunderstorms over the south China coast on Tuesday and Wednesday,” the Observatory said.
Covid-19 testing centres and other government services have also suspended services.
Maximum sustained winds of 73 km per hour were recorded at Waglan Island. The government has opened 26 temporary shelters for residents.
As of 2pm, the government received eight reports of fallen trees. One person has sought medical treatment. There have been no reports of flooding or landslides.
Nangka is the second T8 storm recorded this year.
The weather is expected to improve later in the week: “An anticyclone aloft will strengthen in the latter part of this week, rain will ease off and the weather will improve over the coast of Guangdong. Another tropical cyclone is expected to enter and move across the central part of the South China Sea towards the weekend, and will further intensify,” the Observatory added.
