The Observatory said it will issue the gale or storm signal number 8 at 9.20pm on Sunday, as tropical storm Tapah edges closer to the western coast of Guangdong and is intensifying gradually.

At 6pm, Tapah was estimated to be about 290 kilometres south of Hong Kong, and was forecast to move northwest or north-northwest at about 18 kilometres per hour.

The forecaster said the storm is expected to skirt within 200 kilometres southwest of Hong Kong around sunrise on Monday, before making landfall over western Guangdong.

The number 8 signal will remain in force until at least 11am on Monday.

The Education Bureau announced that classes of all day schools on Monday – including secondary schools, primary schools, special schools, kindergartens and kindergarten-cum-child care centres – are suspended.

Arrangements for evening schools will be announced on Monday.

Meanwhile, Cathay Pacific called on passengers to check their flight status prior to heading to the airport, as a number of its flights scheduled to operate on Monday have been cancelled.

Several other airlines have also announced the cancellation of flights.

Ferry services operator Turbojet has stopped all of the remaining Sunday services to and from Sheung Wan, Kowloon and Zhuhai due to the storm.

It will also stop services to Macau by 8.30pm.