Hong Kong Observatory issued the Standby Signal No.1 Wednesday afternoon (Oct 20) as severe typhoon Megi approached the city.
Hong Kong Observatory, issuing the signal at 4:35 p.m., said in a bulletin that Megi was estimated to be about 570 kilometers south-southeast of Hong Kong at 5 p.m., forecast to move north or north-northwest slowly across the northern part of the South China Sea and gradually edge closer to the south China coast.
No.1 signal, the moderatest level in the warning signal system, indicates that a tropical cyclone is centered within 800 km of Hong Kong and may affect the territory.
Hong Kong Observatory warned people planning an outing to be aware of the possible coming of strong winds over offshore waters.
According to the present forecast track, the chance of the Strong Wind Signal No. 3 overnight tonight was not high, said Hong Kong Observatory.
Under the combined effect of the northeast monsoon and Megi, winds generally over Hong Kong were expected to strengthen gradually in the next couple of days.
Megi, which is set to be the 13th and possibly the strongest typhoon to hit China this year, is expected to make landfall in Hainan or Guangdong province around Saturday.
China's southern provinces like Hainan, Guangdong, and Fujian are gearing up for heavy rains and strong winds.
