Tropical Cyclone Ma-on, which has already forced thousands of people from their homes in the Philippines, is intensifying as it makes its way toward Hong Kong and other regions of Southeastern China on Wednesday.
High-speed rail and ferry operations in a number of Guangdong province cities have been suspended, and workers on offshore projects have been evacuated.
All flights between 3am and 2pm on Thursday were canceled at the airport in Shenzhen, a Chinese technological hub bordering Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong Observatory warned of flooding in low-lying areas and advised residents to stay away from the coast, although Ma-on is not expected to directly affect China’s southern financial hub with its population. 7.4 million people.
The storm is expected to make landfall around noon Thursday on the Guangdong coast, about 200 kilometers (120 mi) southwest of Hong Kong, and weaken as it moves inland towards the Guangxi region. , Yunnan province and northern Vietnam, the China National Meteorological Center said on its website.
The storm comes as sections of central and western China are experiencing severe drought as a result of August’s record-breaking heat, which wilted crops and compromised supplies. water.
Ma-on weakened slightly after plunging through the mountainous provinces of the northern Philippines, where at least three people were injured by trees knocked down by high winds. Classes were suspended and government offices closed in the capital, Manila.
