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Blue skies over Central on Thursday morning give no indication that a tropical storm is approaching. Photo: Sam Tsang

Typhoon No 1 standby signal issued for Hong Kong

City could be hit with strong winds and rainfall as early as Thursday night

The Observatory issued the No 1 standby signal at 8.40pm on Thursday, as a tropical storm closed in on the city.

Watch: Aere’s advance

The Observatory said tropical storm Aere – meaning “storm” in the Marshallese language of the central Pacific Ocean – was moving across the northern part of the South China Sea and would come within about 400km of Hong Kong if it followed its predicted track.

As of 5pm on Thursday, Aere was located 480 km from the city, southwest of Taiwan. It is expected to gradually move nearer to Hong Kong and slow down towards Hainan province.

“Aere will intensify in the coming few days,” the Observatory’s senior scientific officer Song Man-kuen said.

The forecaster added that it expected Aere’s reach to be relatively small. The storm’s interaction with a northeast monsoon currently over southern China, however, could affect how significantly it affects local weather.

At present, the weather in Hong Kong is predicted to remain largely cloudy with a few showers on Thursday night and Friday. There will be sunny intervals during the day time on Friday. From the weekend, the city is expected to see cloudy and windier conditions, with occasional rain over a six-day period.

Seven tropical cyclones occurred over the western North Pacific and the South China Sea last month. The Observatory issued standby signals due to the effects of super typhoon Meranti and severe typhoon Megi. If Aere prompts a No 1 signal, it will be the city’s third since the start of last month.

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