T8 signal hoisted, remain in force until 11am on Mon: HKO

The Hong Kong Observatory issued the No. 8 Southeast Gale or Storm Signal at 9.20pm on Sunday as Severe Tropical Storm Tapah nears the city.

Unless Tapah adopts a track closer to the Pearl River Estuary or intensifies significantly, the forecaster said the chance of issuing higher tropical cyclone warning signals is relatively low.

The Gale or Storm Signal, No. 8 will remain in force at least until 11am on Monday (Sep 8), it added.

At 9pm, Tapah was centred about 250 kilometers south-southwest of Hong Kong and is forecast to move northwest or north-northwest at about 18 kilometers per hour, edging closer to the western coast of Guangdong.

According to the present forecast, Tapah will skirt within 200 kilometers southwest of Hong Kong around sunrise on Monday morning. It will then make landfall over western Guangdong.