2018年CRI HK, Macao issue top typhoon warnings as Mangkhut arrives

The Hong Kong Observatory 1 issued the No. 10 hurricane signal, the top level warning, at 9:40 a.m. on Sunday, as typhoon Mangkhut hit Hong Kong after it has left at least 25 people dead in the Philippines.

The top level warning means that winds with speeds of 118 km per hour or more are expected, and most public transport services will be suspended.

All buses, trams, and ferries have suspended services. A limited service is being maintained on the underground sections of the railway.

The Airport Authority Hong Kong reported that most flights have been canceled or delayed.

The Home Affairs Department has so far opened 48 temporary shelters in various districts and about 600 people have sought refuge at the shelters.

No landslide 2 and flooding have been reported.

At 10:00 a.m., severe typhoon Mangkhut was centered about 150 km south-southeast of Hong Kong, near 21.0 degrees north and 114.5 degrees east, and is forecast to move west-northwest at about 30 km per hour towards the coast of Guangdong province in the Chinese mainland.

Mangkhut continues to move steadily 3 towards the coast of western Guangdong, edging further closer to Hong Kong with a high threat.

According to the present forecast track, Mangkhut will be closest to the Pearl River Delta 4 around noontime, skirting about 100 km to the south of Hong Kong.

Macao also upgraded its typhoon signal to highest No.10 level on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. local time.

Macao's all land, marine 5 and air transport were canceled.

As of 10:30 a.m. local time, there were 938 people moving into Macao's 16 emergency shelters, where food and drinkable water were provided.

Some 26 incidents of falling trees and advertisement boards were reported so far, said Macao's Civil Emergency Response Center.

In Guangdong, flights at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport have been canceled. The airport announced early morning on Sunday the cancellation 6 of all arrivals and departures between 12:00 p.m. local time on Sunday to 8 a.m. local time on Monday.

Flights via Shenzhen Airport were all cancelled on Sunday until 8 a.m. Monday. All long-distance coach services through the city were suspended from 6 p.m. Saturday.

By Saturday, fishing boats in coastal 7 cities of Guangdong were called into harbor. Ferry services in the Qiongzhou Strait linking Guangdong and Hainan were suspended from Saturday morning.

More than 400 flights at two airports in China's southernmost island Province of Hainan were cancelled Sunday morning.

All airlines have informed passengers of typhoon-affected flight cancellations in advance, according to airports in the cities of Haikou and Sanya. So far, no passengers have been stranded 8 at the airports.

The Hainan provincial 9 tourist department has ordered all scenic 10 areas, schools and outdoor businesses to close on Sunday and Monday morning.

China's National Meteorological Center (NMC) on Saturday issued a red typhoon alert, the highest in a four-tier warning system.

According to the NMC, Mangkhut, the 22nd typhoon of this year, could become the strongest to make landfall.