HONG KONG: Hong Kong raised its storm alert to the highest level as tropical cyclone Wipha moved closer, with Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. delaying and cancelling flights in and out of the city on Sunday (July 20).
The Hong Kong Observatory lifted the signal to No. 10 at 9.20am local time.
Wipha is expected to pass the city about 50 kilometers (31 miles) to the south, with wind speeds of 118 kilometers an hour, the weather agency said on its website.
The maximum alert, which was last issued in 2023, is set to remain in force for "some time,” it said.
All flights scheduled to arrive at or depart from the Hong Kong International Airport between 5am and 6pm were either delayed or canceled, the Cathay said in a statement.
The company will rebook alternatives for affected customers.
Airport Authority Hong Kong said on its website that operations are expected to be affected by the typhoon and that it has activated its emergency center.
The Education Bureau suspended all special classes and other school events on Sunday.
In neighbouring Macau, the government planned to raise its alert to the No. 10 signal at 12.30pm local time, according to the Government Information Bureau’s website.
Major hotels in the city including the Venetian, the Parisian, the Londoner and the Four Seasons plan to remain open.
Hong Kong last raised its No. 10 signal in September 2023 when it was pummeled by Typhoon Saola, which caused flooding across the territory.
The city’s stock exchange ended its decades-old tradition of shutting during storms of signal No. 8 or above last year.
The practice had became increasingly questioned during the pandemic, when widespread work-from-home setups showed little hindrance to trading.
In Vietnam, 38 people died in Halong Bay, in the northern part of the country after a boat capsized on Saturday afternoon amid bad weather, according to a post on the Vietnamese government’s website.
Dozens of flights were canceled and rerouted as the storm was forecast to hit Vietnam’s northern provinces from Quang Ninh to Thanh Hoa, according to a separate post on the government’s website.
The Philippines’ government, meanwhile, warned heavy rains of up to 200 millimeters (7.87 inches) may persist until Tuesday in the main island of Luzon.
Three people were left dead by the storm, three are missing, while more than 370,000 persons were affected. - Bloomberg
