Typhoon Usagi Lashes Hong Kong, Makes Landfall in China

by **Cals** Mon 23 Sep 2013, 01:57

Typhoon Usagi Lashes Hong Kong, Makes Landfall in China
By Vinicy Chan & Jasmine Wang - Sep 23, 2013 12:19 AM GMT+0800

Hong Kong raised its third-highest storm signal, with the city bracing for floods and hundreds of flights canceled, as Severe Typhoon Usagi made landfall in southern China.

The Hong Kong Observatory hoisted the No. 8 Storm Signal at 6:40 p.m. local time yesterday, with Usagi forecast to pass 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of the city early today, the nearest a typhoon of this magnitude has come to the former British colony this year. No. 8 means winds of at least 63 kilometers an hour are expected, the agency said.

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In this satellite image taken by the Japan Meteorological Agency's MTSAT-2 satellite and provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Super Typhoon Usagi heads northwest on September 20, 2013 between the Philippines and Taiwan through the Luzon Strait. Source: NOAA via Getty Images

Thousands of people were evacuated by the Chinese government from coastal areas in its Fujian province as storms knocked out power lines, while travelers were stranded around the region with more than 440 flights affected at Hong Kong airport. Banks and the Hong Kong stock market will be closed in the morning should Signal 8 remain in force past 9 a.m.

“It’s probably the worst weekend ever,” Jessica Coelho, a Hong Kong-based human resources executive who was stranded inSingapore, said by phone yesterday. “It’s a nightmare trying to get back. Everyone is trying to get on a plane home.”

The storm, rated the world’s strongest typhoon this year while passing Taiwan, was about 90 kilometers northeast of Hong Kong and moving west-northwest at about 22 kilometers an hour, the weather bureau said at 11 p.m. local time yesterday. The city recorded maximum sustained winds of 90 kilometers an hour.

Makes Landfall

Usagi made landfall in Shanwei city in China’s southern province of Guangdong at 7:40 p.m. local time, the provincial meteorological office said in a statement. It was expected to move northwest at a speed of about 20 kilometer an hour, and its strength will gradually weaken before it leaves Guangdong today as a tropical storm, it said.

Intercity rail services between Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong, Zhuhai and Shenzhen have stopped, according to the official microblog of operator Guangzhou Railway (Group) Corp. Some bullet train services were canceled yesterday, with others also scrapped today, it said.

In Fujian province, Usagi-related storms knocked out three power lines early yesterday, cutting off electricity to about 170,000 households before it was restored to all but 25,000 by noon, Xinhua News said.

Thousands of people were evacuated from low-lying coastal areas in the province, Xinhua reported. The flood-control headquarters ordered reinforced patrols so that emergency repairs could be carried out to prevent embankment breaches.

Taiwan Battered

Usagi dumped as much as 70 centimeters of rain in Taiwan’s east on Sept. 21, left 12 people injured and disrupted more than 100 flights, the Central Emergency Operation Center said.

While passing Taiwan, it had sustained wind speeds of 205 kilometers per hour, making it a super typhoon, according to a tracking map on the Hong Kong Observatory website.

In the Philippines, flooding forced 242 people in the north of the country to flee their homes for temporary shelters on Sept. 18, the country’s disaster agency said.

Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. (293) and its Hong Kong Dragon Airlines Ltd. unit stopped some flights yesterday. Air China Ltd. (753) canceled 148 flights yesterday as airports in Xiamen, Shantou, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Hong Kong and Macau were affected. It may adjust more flights depending on weather conditions.

“Gales are blowing over many places of Hong Kong, reaching storm force over offshore waters and high ground, with gusts reaching hurricane force,” the city’s observatory said at 11 p.m.

The government opened temporary shelters, with 209 people seeking refugee, it said. It received 12 reports of fallen trees.

Exchange Rules

According to Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd. (388) rules, premarket trading will be canceled today should Signal 8 remain in force between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., with morning trading to begin at least two hours after the warning is lowered. There will be no morning session if the alert is dropped after 9 a.m. and no trading for the day if it’s still up after noon.

Grocery shelves were almost empty yesterday at a Tuen Mun ParknShop store in Hong Kong, with only a few packs of instant noodles left and most vegetables sold out.

“The supermarket is so packed,” Fanny Wong, 54, a housewife who bought six packs of instant noodles, two cans of luncheon meat and some eggs, said at the store in the district’s Pierhead Garden. “People are just stocking up everything, from instant noodles, bread to ingredients for hotpot such as mushrooms, pak choi and other vegetables. It took me about half an hour to check out.”

Typhoon Season

Hong Kong, situated off China’s southern coast, gets on average about six tropical cyclones annually, according to the weather bureau. Usagi is the most powerful storm to threaten Hong Kong since Severe Typhoon Utor in August.

A severe typhoon, one grade lower than a super typhoon, is equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, meaning “extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage,” according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center website.

“I came to Hong Kong for work last week and spent my weekend here,” Jay Johnson, a U.S.-based businessman, said yesterday. “It was a lovely stay but now it’s such a headache getting out. I need to be in Munich for a business meeting on Monday but now I may need to cancel it.”

To contact the reporters on this story: Vinicy Chan in Hong Kong at [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]; Jasmine Wang in Hong Kong at [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Hwee Ann Tan at [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]