Nida is coming, Coconauts.
The Typhoon Signal No. 3 was raised just before noon today, as Hong Kong is set to be hit with a blistering tropical cyclone tonight… and we promise you, last week’s storm ain’t got nothin’ on this one.
At 1pm today, the cyclone was reported to be just 420 kilometres away from the city, moving at 25 kilometres per hour.
The Hong Kong Observatory will consider issuing a No. 8 Gale or Storm Signal between 6pm and 10pm today.
(Just for good measure, the Very Hot Weather Warning has also been in force since 11:45am.)
“The weather will deteriorate rapidly after sunset,” warned the observatory, adding that there will be “squalls, heavy rain, rough seas” and maybe flooding in low-lying areas.
The typhoon’s past and predicted track. Photo: Hong Kong Observatory
Nida is currently moving speedily towards the coast of Guangdong, according to the Observatory’s cyclone track. The typhoon will be within closest proximity to Hong Kong from tonight until tomorrow morning.
HKO, US National Hurricane Centre and the Korea Meteorological Administration all predict that Nida will strike Lantau Island the most severely, according to local blog Lantau Confidential.
Hongkongers are advised by the government to check that gutters and drains are free of blockage, and to lock windows and doors.
EDITOR’S NOTE: A previous version of this article stated that the Typhoon No. 3 signal was raised just before 1pm. We regret the error.
