Autumn typhoon heading for HK

Henry Siu

An autumn typhoon is coming as the Hong Kong Observatory expects tropical cyclone Trami to head toward the SAR and approach 800 kilometers of the city on Saturday.

As of 4pm yesterday, the tropical depression near the Philippines was centered about 1,090 km east of Manila.

Trami, known as Tropical Depression Kristine in the Philippines, maintained its strength as it crossed over the Philippine Sea, according to the state weather agency, which raised Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No 1 over 15 areas by mid-day.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Kristine was spotted 870 km east of Eastern Visayas at 10am, packing maximum sustained winds of 55 km/h and gustiness of up to 70 km/h.

At 11am, Pagasa said Kristine will intensify into a typhoon category either Thursday or Friday and make landfall in northern Luzon on Friday. It is the 11th storm to hit the Philippines this year.

The Observatory meanwhile has forecast that Trami will move west at about 18 km/h toward east of Luzon.

Trami is forecast to intensify to a severe tropical storm tomorrow and intensify to a typhoon on Saturday with maximum sustained wind near its center reaching 120 km/h.

"It will have a higher chance to enter the northeastern part of the South China Sea," the Observatory said.

"However, there are uncertainties in its subsequent movement. It may move westwards across the central and northern parts of the South China Sea or take a northwestward track edging closer to the coast of southern China."

A dry northeast monsoon will reach southern China today, bringing generally fine weather over the region in the following few days.

It will be very hot with some haze today, with the minimum temperature of about 26 degrees Celsius and maximum of 33 degrees in urban areas and a couple of degrees higher in the New Territories.

The moderate easterly winds will strengthen from the north tonight.

It will be appreciably cooler in the morning and at night in the middle and latter parts of the week. The temperature difference between day and night will be rather significant, with the minimum temperature of around 22 degrees on Thursday.

A replenishment of the northeast monsoon is expected to affect southern China in the latter part of this week.

Under the combined effect of the northeast monsoon and the tropical cyclone, it will be windy with a few showers over the northern part of the South China Sea and the coast of southern China in the latter part of this week and early next week.

henry.siu@singtaonewscorp.com