All typhoon signals cancelled in Hong Kong as tropical depression Sinlaku gradually moves away
- Tropical depression slowly easing away but Hongkongers can still expect squally showers for the rest of the weekend
- Observatory cancelled the No 1 standby signal at 11.15pm as winds weakened
A tropical depression gradually moving away from Hong Kong was still expected to bring squally showers to the city for remainder of the weekend, as weather forecasters on Saturday night cancelled all typhoon signals.
The Observatory lowered the No 3 typhoon signal to the No 1 standby signal at 9.10pm and subsequently cancelled that at 11.15pm as winds began to weaken.
At 11pm, tropical depression Sinlaku was centred about 770km west-southwest of Hong Kong and forecast to move west-northwest at about 18km/h across Beibu Wan, and towards the northern part of Vietnam on Sunday.
But the city still faced a rainy week with showers and thunderstorms from Sunday, under the influence of the outer rainbands of Sinlaku and then because of a broad trough of low pressure which was expected to bring unsettled weather to the coast of Guangdong.
Observatory raises signal No 3 as tropical cyclone forms over South China Sea
The strong wind signal No 3 was raised on Friday night at 8.40pm, meaning winds with mean speeds of between 41km/h and 62km/h were expected, after the monsoon over the central and northern parts of the South China Sea intensified into a tropical depression.
The last time the city’s weather forecast agency directly upgraded the No 3 warning from a strong monsoon signal, instead of from a No 1 level, was in 2000, according to Observatory senior scientific officer Queenie Lam Ching-chi.
The reason the Observatory went straight to the strong wind signal No 3 without issuing the No 1 signal was because the approaching monsoon depression evolved at 8pm, Lam said.
“The monsoon depression intensified and turned into a tropical depression,” she said, adding that the change led to strong winds affecting Hong Kong.
Lam cited another similar event in 2000 when a tropical cyclone formed off the coast of Lantau Island.
