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Typhoon Hato: Hong Kong battens down as storm closes schools and stock market Typhoon Hato kills three in Macau and batters Hong Kong
(about 5 hours later)
A powerful typhoon has forced offices and schools to close and led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights in Hong Kong. A powerful typhoon has killed at least three people in the Chinese gambling enclave of Macau and forced offices and schools to close in Hong Kong, where hundreds of flights have been cancelled.
Severe Typhoon Hato was about 60km (37 miles) south of Hong Kong on Wednesday morning and moving toward mainland China’s Pearl River Delta. Three men aged 30, 45 and 62 were killed in falls and accidents related to the heavy rain and gusting winds from Typhoon Hato, and two other people were listed as missing, Macau’s Government Information Bureau said.
Authorities raised the hurricane threat to 10, the highest level, for the first time in five years. Hato was packing maximum sustained winds of 165km (103 miles) per hour with gusts of up to 192kph (119mph). Hato came within about 37 miles (60km) of Hong Kong on Wednesday morning before heading westward into mainland China, where it was gradually weakening.
The warning forced businesses, government offices, schools and courts to shut and the stock market to suspend trading, leaving the Asian financial centre’s normally bustling streets eerily quiet. Airlines cancelled 420 flights and ferry operators halted services to the nearby Chinese gambling centre of Macau and cities in the delta. China’s weather service said the storm made landfall at around noon in the Pearl river delta city of Zhuhai, in Guangdong province. Thousands of people were evacuated from parts of the mainland coast before the storm’s arrival, China’s official Xinhua news agency reported.
Train services were cancelled, fishing boats returned to harbour and more than 4,000 fish farmers and their families came to shore, Xinhua said. Waves up to 10 metres (33ft) high were expected in the South China Sea, the agency said.
Hato knocked out power in Macau, including at its famed casinos and a hospital, where backup generators kicked in.
Flooding and injuries were reported in Hong Kong, 40 miles across the water from Macau, but there were no reports of deaths.
#typhoon #Hato is ripping through #HongKong Victoria Harbour, check out this crazy vortex spinning off the sea pic.twitter.com/nXHHP3R63b#typhoon #Hato is ripping through #HongKong Victoria Harbour, check out this crazy vortex spinning off the sea pic.twitter.com/nXHHP3R63b
A direct hit on Hong Kong was not expected, but outlying islands were experiencing winds of 141kph (87 mph). The Hong Kong Observatory warned residents to be prepared for destructive winds, possible flooding and landslip, and advised people to stay away from low-lying areas because storm surges could cause severe flooding. In Hong Kong, Hato forced the closure of businesses, government offices, schools and the stock market, leaving the city’s normally bustling streets eerily quiet. Airlines canceled 450 flights and ferry operators halted commuter services and routes to Macau and cities in the delta.
Hato was expected to skirt south of Hong Kong and make landfall on China’s Guangdong province. Thousands of people were evacuated from parts of the mainland coast ahead of the storm’s arrival, the official Xinhua news service reported. Hato’s fierce gales brought down trees, overturned bins and blew out windows on skyscrapers, raining shattered glass on to the streets below.
Weather authorities in Hong Kong raised the No 10 hurricane signal, the highest level, for the first time in five years.
By midday, Hato was packing maximum sustained winds of 78mph, with gusts of up to 129mph on some outlying islands.
The No 10 signal has been hoisted only 14 other times since 1946, or once every 72 storms, according to the Hong Kong Observatory. The last time it went up was for Typhoon Vicente in 2012.
The observatory warned residents to be prepared for destructive winds, possible flooding and landslips, and advised people to stay away from low-lying areas because storm surges could cause severe flooding.
Streets in areas near the sea were submerged by waves crashing ashore, according to local TV news footage.
Typhoon #Hato bearing down on #HongKong #China. pic.twitter.com/eG54zfbwxdTyphoon #Hato bearing down on #HongKong #China. pic.twitter.com/eG54zfbwxd
Train services were cancelled, fishing boats returned to harbour and more than 4,000 fish farmers and their families came to shore, Xinhua said. Waves up to 10 meters (33ft) high were expected in the South China Sea, the agency said.