We’ve had a pretty good run for weather recently, with temperatures dipping into the comfortable low to mid-20s and conditions edging into a breezy autumn. However, yet another typhoon seems to be brewing on the horizon, as the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) warns that the tropical cyclone Fung-wong will enter within 800 km of Hong Kong tomorrow, November 10.
As of 12 noon today, Fung-wong is centred about 310 km east of Manila and moving towards Luzon. Known locally in the Philippines as Uwan, this tropical cyclone has intensified into the super typhoon category early on Sunday morning, packing maximum sustained winds of 185 km per hour and gusts of up to 230 km per hour, according to the Philippine state weather bureau. Despite the nation still reeling from the devastation of typhoon Kalmaegi just days earlier, which killed 204 people in the Philippines alone, the government has had to issue the highest alert level across southeastern Luzon for Fung-wong, and evacuated over 100,000 residents ahead of the tropical cyclone’s forecasted landfall for early Monday morning.
In Hong Kong, the Standby Signal No. 1 will be issued sometime after 12 noon tomorrow. According to the present forecast, Fung-wong looks like it will be at its closest to Hong Kong on Wednesday, November 12, skirting about 400 km east of Hong Kong. This means that local winds will strengthen from the later part of Tuesday and well into Wednesday.
Depending on changes in the tropical cyclone’s intensity, its distance from Hong Kong, and local wind conditions, the HKO will assess the need to issue higher weather warning signals on Tuesday. Under the combined effect of Fung-wong and a northeastern monsoon over the coast of southern China, the weather will be windy and slightly cooler over the next few days, with temperatures in urban areas of Hong Kong falling to approximately 20 degrees Celsius around mid-week.
The HKO also warns that minor flooding may occur in low-lying coastal areas overnight on Monday until the small hours of Tuesday. After Wednesday, tropical cyclone Fung-wong is set to move towards the vicinity of Taiwan and weaken gradually.
Keep an eye on the weather on HKO’s website.
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