A No 8 typhoon signal will be issued by Hong Kong Observatory at 11.10 pm on Wednesday( 13 November 2024), it will remain in force until at least 10 am on Thursday as Tropical Storm Toraji edges closer to the city.
Toraji is one of four storms to emerge simultaneously in the western North Pacific and South China Sea in November for the first time since records began.
“Toraji will further edge closer to the Pearl River [Delta]. The associated gale winds and squally showers will affect Hong Kong overnight and [on Thursday] at first,” the forecaster said.
“The Observatory will issue the gale or storm signal, No 8, at 11.10 pm [on Wednesday] and it will remain in force at least until 10 am [on Thursday] morning.”
The government said classes at all morning and whole-day schools, ranging from kindergartens to secondary schools, would be suspended on Thursday.
Arrangements for afternoon and evening schools would be announced on Thursday, it added.
The Observatory said that at 8.15 pm on Wednesday, the maximum sustained wind speed recorded at Tate’s Cairn was 59km/h over the past hour, with gusts exceeding 87km/h.
Gale force winds are equivalent to No. 8 or No. 9 on the Beaufort scale, with mean speeds of 63 to 75km/h (39 to 47mph) and 76 to 87km/h, respectively.
The Observatory earlier said Toraji was expected to skirt within around 200km (125 miles) to the south of Hong Kong [on Thursday] morning.
The forecaster urged the public to stay away from the shoreline and not to take part in water sports with the sea being “rough with swells”.
熱帶風暴虎芝逼近香港，香港將於晚上 11 點 10 分發出 T8 颱風警告信號
香港天文台將於週三晚上 11 點 10 分發出八號颱風信號，並補充說，隨著熱帶風暴虎芝逼近香港，該信號將持續有效到週四至少上午 10 點。
虎吉是自有記錄以來首次於 11 月在北太平洋西部和南海同時出現的四場風暴之一。
「Toraji 將進一步靠近珠江三角洲。 相關的大風和狂風驟雨將在夜間和（週四）首先影響香港，」預報員說。
“天文台將於晚上 11 點 10 分（週三）發布 8 號烈風或暴風信號，並將至少持續到上午 10 點（週四）上午。”
政府表示，從幼兒園到中學的所有早校和全日制學校將於週四停課。
它補充說，下午和夜校的安排將於週四公佈。
天文台表示，週三晚上8時15分，大老山錄得過去一小時的最大持續風速為每小時59公里，陣風超過每小時87公里。
大風相當於波弗特級8級或9級，平均速度分別為63至75公里/小時（39至47英里/小時）和76至87公里/小時。
天文台早些時候表示，預計虎吉將在[週四]早上繞過香港以南約200公里（125英里）範圍內。
預報員敦促民眾遠離海岸線，不要參加海上「波濤洶湧」的水上運動。
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