Hong Kong Lowers Storm Alert as Typhoon Wipha Moves West
The Hong Kong Observatory lowered the signal to No. 8 at 4:10 p.m. local time. Wipha was forecast to move west at about 22 kilometers (13.7 miles) per hour across the vicinity of the Pearl River Estuary, toward the coast of western Guangdong province in China, the weather agency said on its website.
Wipha will likely make landfall along the coastal area in China's southern Guangdong province late Sunday, affecting the cities of Zhuhai and Zhanjiang, a local weather bureau said. Nearly 280,000 people in Guangdong had been relocated as of 9 p.m. Saturday, according to a state media report.
Cathay Pacific said in a statement that departing flights would resume from approximately 6 p.m. Sunday. The airline had earlier delayed or canceled all flights scheduled to arrive at or depart from Hong Kong between 5 a.m. and 6 p.m. It added that further flight delays and cancellations may be required based on weather conditions and the typhoon's path.
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.
Hong Kong's Hospital Authority said in a statement that 21 people had sought medical treatment during the typhoon.
In neighboring Macau, the government planned to lower its alert signal at 5 p.m. local time, according to the city's meteorological bureau. Major hotels in the city including the Venetian, the Parisian, the Londoner and the Four Seasons remained open.
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 people were affected.
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.
--With assistance from Emma Dong, Nguyen Dieu Tu Uyen and Karl Lester M. Yap.
(Updates with latest news throughout)
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