The Hong Kong Observatory said the Standby Signal No 1 will remain in force until at least noon on Friday.

"The tropical depression over the central part of the South China Sea still remained rather loosely organised and generally adopted a westerly track towards seas south of Hainan Island, maintaining quite some distance from Hong Kong," according to acting senior scientific officer Lam Hok-yin.

The observatory added that it will assess whether to issue the Strong Wind Signal No 3 on Friday based on the storm’s development, the proximity of its strong winds to the Pearl River Estuary and local wind conditions.

The public is advised to stay away from shorelines and avoid water sports, as swells are expected.


Edited by Edmond Fong