Hong Kong issues typhoon signal No 3 as Yutu edges closer to Guangdong coast

The Hong Kong Observatory issued the typhoon signal No 3 at 12.39pm on Thursday as Typhoon Yutu edged closer to the coastal waters of eastern Guangdong province.

“Unless Yutu takes on a track closer to the Pearl River Delta, the chance of issuing the No 8 gale or storm signal is not high,” a spokesman for the forecaster said.

Yutu would continue to edge closer to the coastal waters of eastern Guangdong on Thursday, he added.

At 7pm on Thursday, Yutu was estimated to be about 310km southeast of Hong Kong and was forecast to move north or north-northeast at about 8km/h, crossing the northeastern part of the South China Sea.

The Education Bureau announced that classes at kindergartens, schools for children with physical disabilities and schools for children with intellectual disabilities were suspended on Thursday.

“These schools, however, should keep their premises open and implement contingency measures to look after arriving students,” a spokesman said. “They should ensure that conditions are safe before allowing students to return home. Parents need not pick up their children from school immediately.”