Hong Kong Observatory will consider issuing warning over Super Typhoon Saola later this week, as storm moves along unpredictable path
- Weather forecaster says super typhoon will be within 800km of the city on Wednesday, but uncertainty over movements still ‘relatively high’
- Residents can expect some showers and isolated thunderstorms on Tuesday, but weather to remain hot with sunny intervals in afternoon
The Hong Kong Observatory will consider issuing a warning later this week over a super typhoon that is moving along an unpredictable path and may interact with another intense storm brewing in the South China Sea.
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“As Tropical Cyclone Haikui, located to the east of Saola, may further develop and interact with Saola, the uncertainty in the subsequent movement of Saola is relatively high,” it said.
“Depending on the size of circulation of Saola and its distance from the Pearl River [Delta], the Observatory will assess the need for issuing tropical cyclone warning signals in the middle to latter parts of this week.”
Saola, named after a rare and protected species of animal discovered in Vietnam in the 1990s, was centred about 670km (416mph) southeast of Kaohsiung at 8pm on Monday. It is forecast to move northwest at about 10km/h through the Luzon Strait.
It is expected to shift north-northeast slowly, staying over the seas east of Luzon.
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Haikui is the Chinese name for sea anemones, a flowerlike type of marine animal.
The Observatory said there would be a few showers and isolated thunderstorms on Tuesday, but the weather would be hot with sunny intervals in the afternoon.
Saola will bring “very hot weather” to southern mainland China in the middle and later parts of the week, with relatively large temperature differences between day and night.
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“It will be windier with a few showers over the coast of eastern Guangdong [province] towards the weekend,” forecasters said.
A super typhoon is the most intense tropical cyclone, with a maximum sustained wind speed reaching 185km/h or above.
