Standby Signal No 1 to be issued at 8.40pm today

The observatory said it will issue Standby Signal No 1 at 8.40pm as Tropical Cyclone Noul is expected to enter within 800 kilometres of Hong Kong on Friday evening.

At noon, the cyclone was centered about 480 kilometres north-northeast of Manila and will move west-northwest at about 26 kilometres per hour across the Luzon Strait and intensify gradually.

The forecaster said weather conditions will remain very hot during the day on Saturday, with local winds strengthening as the typhoon intensifies and edges closer to the coast of Guangdong.

It advised people to stay away from the shoreline and not to engage in water sports as there will be swells.

According to the current forecast, Noul has a higher chance of making landfall between Huizhou and Jieyang early on Sunday, though its distance from the SAR still remains uncertain.

The observatory added that it may issue higher warning signals on Saturday afternoon, depending on changes in the storm's intensity, the distance between its gale-force wind zone and Hong Kong, as well as local wind conditions.

Edited by Azam Khan ...