The Hong Kong Observatory said that it would consider issuing typhoon signal No 3 on Wednesday if Tropical Storm Barijat comes near the city. If it does, it is expected to bring strong winds. Also, people are warned about the coming of Super Typhoon Mangkhut, which is expected to hit over the weekend.
According to the South China Morning Post, Mangkhut was about 2,800km away from Hong Kong in the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday afternoon. However, it was later forecast to edge closer towards the South China Sea in the coming days. It already has a 50 percent chance of passing over the city in the next nine days.
At midnight, Tropical Storm Barijat was recorded to around 340km east-southeast of the metro and estimated to move west with a speed of 14km/h. Earlier in the day at 10.40 am, the weather agency issued the No 1 signal as Barijat headed towards the western coast of Guangdong province.
"Barijat is expected to edge slightly closer to the Pearl River Estuary [on Wednesday] and its associated squally showers will affect Hong Kong gradually," the Hong Kong Observatory announced.
It strongly advised Hongkongers brace themselves and check on the latest weather information before leaving home on Wednesday morning.
The agency further said that its forecasts revealed Mangkhut to be moving closer to the South China Sea as soon as the weekend arrives. It could be "very close" to the city then, the agency's acting senior scientific officer Daniel Yeung Kwok-chung said.
"If Mangkhut passes through Luzon [in the Philippines] or Taiwan before entering the South China Sea, its strength could be reduced with the impact of land," he said, noting that the super typhoon was now forecast to enter the South China Sea after passing through the Luzon Strait.
As of press time, the weather on Sunday is expected to be cloudy alongside frequent heavy rain and thunderstorms. The wind could go up to a Force 8 gale, Coconuts Hong Kong reports.
The Observatory announced that Mangkhut's outer subsiding air would bring generally fine and very hot weather to Guangdong on Friday and early Saturday.
Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon, both of which are Hong Kong-based airlines, announced on Tuesday announced that they would waive charges for all rebooking and re-routing tickets for flights either arriving to or departing from the city. This would cover flights that should travel between Sunday and Monday, September 16 and 17, respectively.
