The Hong Kong Observatory will issue the T8 signal for Super Typhoon Yagi at 6.20pm. Photo: Sam TsangThis story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app.
All-day school classes will be suspended on Thursday and Friday and dozens of flights will be cancelled, as the Hong Kong Observatory is expected to issue the No 8 signal at 6.20pm until at least Friday noon due to Super Typhoon Yagi.
The Observatory said the warning would remain in force because Yagi was a mature storm.
The Education Bureau said the suspension of classes at all-day schools would take effect when the forecaster issued the “Pre-No 8 Special Announcement” on Thursday afternoon.
It also said the classes at kindergartens, childcare centres, and all-day primary, secondary and special schools would remain suspended on Friday to keep students safe.
“Schools should implement contingency measures to ensure the safety of students. They should ensure that conditions are safe before allowing students to return home,” a bureau spokesman said.
Classes of evening schools would also be suspended on Thursday when the No 8 signal was raised, he added.
The bureau added that an announcement would be made if classes of evening schools were going to be suspended on Friday, depending on the typhoon developments.
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What’s happening with flights?
Meanwhile, Greater Bay Airlines cancelled four of the flights scheduled for Friday, two between Hong Kong and Tokyo and two others between the city to Osaka.
Another two flights between Hong Kong and Manila set for Friday were delayed to Saturday.
The airline said affected passengers could change their tickets within seven days of the original departure date or apply for a refund within 14 days with all related fees waived.
HK Express, Cathay Pacific Airways’ budget wing, also cancelled 16 flights slated for Friday, in addition to the six scheduled for Thursday that were previously cancelled.
Cathay Pacific also called on passengers to arrive at the airport at least three hours before their scheduled departure to allow sufficient time for check-in and boarding procedures, adding no flights had been cancelled because of the super typhoon.
“It is also recommended that they check their flight status before heading to the airport. We are also waiving ticket change fees, so customers can rearrange their plans easily,” a Cathay spokesman said.
Classes were also suspended at kindergartens and special schools on Thursday as the No 3 signal remained in force.
According to the Observatory, Yagi is expected to skirt 300km (186 miles) to the southwest of Hong Kong on Thursday night and Friday morning.
“Gales associated with Yagi are set to edge closer to the Pearl River Estuary later today. Local winds will strengthen further and weather will deteriorate,” it said.
How worried should we be about this typhoon?
At 11am, Yagi was estimated to be about 380km south-southeast of Hong Kong.
The forecaster reminded the public to stay away from the shoreline and not engage in water sports. Outdoor workers should also be vigilant of the weather changes.
Former Observatory assistant director Leung Wing-mo said Yagi was likely to remain a super typhoon on Thursday, but might intensify on Friday.
“Yagi is not as strong as other extreme events such as Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018 and Typhoon Hato in 2017.” he said. “But at this moment, Yagi is extremely strong as its maximum sustained winds near the centre reaches 200km/h (125mph).
“Its intensity will remain or be even stronger. This is because the seawater temperature in South China Sea is unusually warm which helps the typhoon to further develop.”
According to Leung, a super typhoon must at least have a maximum sustained wind speed of 185km/h or above near the centre.
“Now [Yagi] reached 205km/h and may slightly increase to 210km/h,” he said.
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Leung added that for Hong Kong, there was “a little peace of mind” as the typhoon was far away from the city.
“Now it is around 390km away from us. Its closest distance between us is estimated to be more than 300km [Friday] morning, which is pretty far away,” he said.
“But since it is a super typhoon. It is worth considering issuing the No 8 signal to protect the safety of our residents and properties.”
Leung said stronger winds could impact people living in eastern areas, such as Sai Kung, Tai Po, Heng Fa Chuen and Lei Yue Mun, when Yagi was closer.
Hong Kong’s MTR Corporation said it would maintain limited train services when the No 8 signal was in force and suspend its bus services three hours after the alert was hoisted.
The rail operator also said that if the No 9 signal was issued, open-air trains would stop at their final destinations or stations connected to shopping centres.
The public is reminded to get the updates from the MTR Corp’s mobile app and social media platforms.
Yagi means goat in Japanese. It is also the Japanese name of the constellation Capricornus.