The Observatory says it will issue the Gale or Storm Signal Number 8 at 20 minutes past midnight on Sunday, as Severe Tropical Storm Wipha edges closer to the region.

At 9pm, Wipha was about 370km east-southeast of Hong Kong. It was forecast to move west-northwest at about 25km per hour towards the coast of Guangdong, and come "rather close to the vicinity of the Pearl River Estuary".

Local winds were expected to reach gale to storm force on Sunday, with frequent heavy squally showers and thunderstorms, the Observatory added.

It will assess the need of issuing higher tropical cyclone warning signals on Sunday morning.

Members of the public have been urged to pay attention to the latest weather information from the Observatory and complete all precautionary measures as soon as possible.

Flooding may occur in low-lying coastal areas as a result of a storm surge, and people have been advised to stay away from the shoreline and not to engage in water sports.

Most public transport remained in operation on Saturday night, including ferry services to outlying islands.

KMB and Citybus said all daytime routes would maintain service until their last departures, while overnight routes would be suspended from 2am onwards Sunday.

Trains on the MTR network were also running normally, while four extra departures on the Airport Express have been scheduled at 1:15am, 1:45am, 2:15am, and 2:45am Sunday to take passengers to the city.
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Last updated: 2025-07-19 HKT 21:28