This screen shot from the website of the Hong Kong Observatory shows the path Tropical Storm Chaba was expected to take as it edged closer to western Guangdong on June 30, 2022.
HONG KONG – The Hong Kong Observatory on Thursday night raised typhoon signal No. 3 over the city as Tropical Storm Chaba edged closer to western Guangdong.
In a bulletin, the HKO said it raised the Strong Wind Signal, No. 3 at 10:40 pm over the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as winds with mean speeds of 41 to 62 kilometers per hour were expected.
As of 11 pm, Tropical Storm Chaba was estimated to be about 570 kilometers south of Hong Kong and was forecast to move north-northwest at about 18 kilometers per hour towards western Guangdong
“There are strong winds offshore and on high ground,” the HKO said, adding that the Strong Wind Signal will remain in force until noontime Friday.
The HKO said it will closely monitor the situation, noting that the need to issue the No. 8 Gale or Storm Signal will depend on “the development of Chaba and the changes of the local winds”.
As of 11 pm, Tropical Storm Chaba was estimated to be about 570 kilometers south of the HKSAR and was forecast to move north-northwest at about 18 kilometers per hour towards western Guangdong, the HKO said.
Members of the public were advised to stay away from the shoreline and not to engage in water sports.
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Meanwhile, the Chinese mainland's Ministry of Water Resources on Thursday activated a level-IV emergency response to possible floods triggered by Chaba in the country's Pearl River Basin.
The ministry has urged local departments in the southern provincial regions of Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan to strengthen monitoring and take precautionary measures against floods and mountain torrents.
Three working groups have been sent to these areas to guide local efforts to prevent damage from typhoons and heavy rainfall, said the ministry.
The mainland has a four-tier flood control emergency response system, with level I being the most severe response.
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Typhoon Chaba, the third this year, is expected to make landfall this weekend on the coast from east Hainan to west Guangdong, according to the National Meteorological Center.
From Friday to next Monday, typhoon-triggered gales and rainstorms are likely to hit most parts of southern China, the observatory said, urging precautionary measures against mountain torrents, geological disasters and floods.
The current supplies in downpour-affected areas are generally sufficient, Commerce Ministry Spokesperson Shu Jueting told a press conference Thursday, adding that smooth operation of the necessities market during the flood season will be guaranteed.
With Xinhua inputs