Hong Kong Braces for First Storm This Year as Merbok Lashes
- More than 300 flights canceled or delayed: Airport Authority
- Long lines seen at metro stations, piers as people rushed home
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Hong Kong braced itself for its first typhoon this year, as Tropical Storm Merbok lashed the financial center with rain and wind.
The Hong Kong Observatory hoisted Signal No. 8 at 5:20 p.m. local time. and said the warning would remain in force tonight. At 7 p.m., Tropical Storm Merbok was centered about 50 kilometers (31 miles) south-southeast of Hong Kong and is forecast to move north-northwest at about 20 kilometers per hour in the general direction of the city. It’s expected to make landfall over the vicinity of the Pearl River Estuary around midnight and will dissipate gradually on Tuesday, the Observatory said.