Travellers were urged to call airlines about possible flight delays and cancellations last night as Typhoon Chanchu bore down on the city. Some ferry services had already stopped running yesterday evening as rain and winds whipped up by the typhoon drew closer. China Merchants Shipping and Enterprises said ferry services between Hong Kong and Shekou would be suspended today until further notice. Fortune Ferry halted its services between Tuen Mun and Tai O last night. Chu Kong Passenger Transport Company also stopped services to Zhuhai, Zhongshan , Shunde and other Guangdong cities. Airlines, including Dragonair and Korean Air, advised passengers to call them to confirm flights before departing for the airport, saying flights might be cancelled or delayed due to weather conditions. Fishermen returned from sea yesterday and anchored in typhoon shelters around the city. The Yau Ma Tei shelter was declared full by the Marine Department at 8pm. The Hong Kong Observatory said Typhoon Chanchu was steadily heading north from the Philippines last night. 'But we estimate that it will move more towards the east later, to Guangdong,' Observatory senior scientific officer Poon Hoi-to said. 'However, it is too early to say if a higher typhoon signal will be hoisted.' Today will be cloudy with heavy showers. There will be squalls at times. Temperatures will range between 22 and 25 degrees Celsius and winds will strengthen. The Observatory forecast Typhoon Chanchu, with wind speeds of 139km/h, will be closest to Hong Kong at 5pm today, when its centre will be only 100km from the city. At about that time it will make landfall on Guangdong or Fujian , which will reduce the speed of its winds to about 100km/h. Typhoon Chanchu is the strongest storm ever to enter the South China Sea in May. It killed 37 people and left thousands homeless when it swept across central and northwestern regions of the Philippines at the weekend.
