A woman holding a child walks under the rain with a boy in Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong, amid typhoon Cempaka, July 19, 2021.  (CALVIN NG/CHINADAILY)

HONG KONG – The Hong Kong Observatory downgraded the typhoon signal to No 1 at 1:20 pm Tuesday as Cempaka gradually moved away from Hong Kong and weakened.

But the forecaster said “local winds are not expected to change appreciably during the day today” and “there is still uncertainty in Cempaka’s future movement.”

The observatory issued Strong Wind Signal No 3 at 4:10 pm Monday, meaning that winds with mean speeds of 41 to 62 kilometers per hour are expected.

On Tuesday morning, the maximum sustained winds recorded at Tai Mei Tuk were 43 kilometers per hour with maximum gusts 53 kilometers per hour.

Squally showers and thunderstorms on the coast of Guangdong are expected as Cempaka moves across the coastal areas of western Guangdong in the next couple of days.

ALSO READ: First black rainstorm warning of 2021 disrupts life in HK


Hong Kong’s Education Bureau announced that kindergarten classes, schools for children with physical disabilities, and schools for children with intellectual disabilities, are suspended on Tuesday.

The typhoon signal No 3 is still in force in neighboring Macao, where schools for children were also canceled for the day.