Hong Kong braces for Typhoon Nesat
Barely had Typhoon Pedring (international name: Nesat) exited Philippine territory Wednesday when Hong Kong has started bracing for it. On Wednesday, the Hong Kong Observatory issued Standby Signal No. 1, meaning the cyclone is within 800 km of Hong Kong and may affect it. "At noon, Typhoon Nesat was estimated to be about 570 km south southeast of Hong Kong... and is forecast to move west or west northwest at about 22 kph across the northern part of the South China Sea in the general direction of Hainan Island to western Guangdong," it said. "Local weather will deteriorate with squally showers later today and winds will continue to strengthen," it added. Earlier, Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration forecaster Gener Quitlong said Pedring is likely to exit Philippine territory at 2 p.m. Wednesday. The HKO said Nesat continued to track west to west northwest steadily in the past few hours. It said that as Nesat edges closer to the coast of Guangdong, local winds are strengthening gradually with rough seas. "The public should be on the alert," it said, adding it may issue the Strong Wind Signal No. 3 Wednesday evening. Precautions The HKO advised residents to take precautions now, including: