Hong Kong and Macau braced for severe tropical storm Pakhar on Sunday, just four days after one of the strongest typhoons on record, Hato, caused serious flooding and damage in the territories.
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hong Kong and Macau braced for severe tropical storm Pakhar on Sunday, just four days after one of the strongest typhoons on record, Hato, caused serious flooding and damage in the territories.
Both cities issued their third-highest weather warnings, storm signal No. 8, early in the morning as winds intensified and heavy rain lashed down, prompting alerts of serious flooding in low-lying areas.
Pakhar comes as the territories are still reeling from Hato. While Hong Kong escaped major damage, Hato devastated the world’s largest gambling hub Macau, killing at least 10 people and exposing critical infrastructure flaws after it left the city without water and power for days.
« Pakhar will be closest to Hong Kong in the next few hours, skirting within 150 kilometers southwest of the territory and landing to the west of the Pearl River Estuary around noon, » said the Hong Kong Observatory, the territory’s weather forecasting agency.
Unless Pakhar intensifies further, there is little chance a higher signal will be issued, although seas will be very rough with swells, it added.
