Hong Kong braces for Typhoon Toraji, with four cyclones swirling in the region. Photo: Sun YeungHong Kong is bracing for Typhoon Toraji as four cyclones simultaneously swirl in the western North Pacific and South China Sea – a historic event. The Observatory is expected to issue a No 3 warning at 2:40pm.
The weather forecaster said on Wednesday that Toraji had taken a more northerly track in the morning but slightly weakened, with its outer rainbands beginning to affect the Guangdong coast.
It added that Toraji would gradually move closer to the coast of southern China during the day.
“Under the combined effect of Toraji and the northeast monsoon, its associated strong winds will gradually affect the vicinity of the Pearl River Estuary,” the Observatory said.
“Local winds will strengthen later today with winds offshore and on high ground occasionally reaching gales. The Observatory will issue the No 3 signal at 2.40pm.”
The forecaster said that issuing higher warning signals would depend on Toraji’s intensity, the distance between its associated gale winds and the Pearl River Estuary, and the change in local wind conditions.
“It is expected that Toraji will skirt within around 200km (125 miles) to the south of the territory [Thursday] morning,” it noted.
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It urged the public to stay away from the shoreline and not to take part in water sports with the sea being “rough with swells”.
Lee Shuk-ming, the Observatory’s senior scientific officer, said Toraji was 320km southeast of Hong Kong as of 8am, adding it was expected to be closest to the city on Thursday morning.
“It is moving to the west-northwest and it will slowly move to somewhere with cooler seawater temperatures. It will affect its intensity, which may weaken,” she told a radio show.
“We are also predicting that as the vertical wind shear may strengthen, it will cause Toraji to weaken when moving close to Hong Kong.”
She said four tropical cyclones emerged in the western North Pacific and the South China Sea at the same time in November for the first time since records began in 1961.
“A while ago, Hong Kong was affected by Yinxing … and now Toraji and Usagi, and another tropical cyclone further away named Man-yi,” she said.
Lee explained that it was because the location of the subtropical ridge of high pressure this year was stronger and farther north than normal.
“It made the tropical cyclones appear in the western North Pacific farther north than those that appeared in November in the past,” she said.
She said in the past tropical cyclones emerging in November would be farther south, affecting the south of the Philippines, the South China Sea, and Vietnam.
But this year, the cyclones, after being developed, moved to Luzon, then entered the South China Sea, and affected Hong Kong, she said.
She added that the four cyclones were able to form as there was enough distance between each other.