The Hong Kong Observatory announced on Monday that it will issue the Standby Signal No. 1 at 10:20 PM as Tropical Cyclone Toraji moves closer to the city.
The powerful storm has passed over the Philippine island of Luzon and will come within 800 kilometers of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region overnight, forecasters said.
“Toraji will move towards the vicinity of the western coast of Guangdong to the Pearl River Estuary in the next couple of days,” the observatory stated. “Under the combined effect of Toraji and the northeast monsoon, winds over the region will gradually strengthen with squally showers.”
The observatory added that it will consider issuing the stronger Strong Wind Signal No. 3 later on Tuesday or early Wednesday as the storm approaches.
Tropical cyclones are a serious threat to the densely populated Hong Kong metropolitan area, which has a population of over 7 million people. The city has a well-developed typhoon preparedness system, with a series of increasingly severe storm warning signals that trigger measures such as school and business closures.
According to the observatory, Toraji was centered about 800 kilometers southeast of Hong Kong as of Monday evening, packing maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour near its center. The storm is forecast to continue moving northwest, potentially making landfall along the coast of Guangdong province in the coming days.
“We are closely monitoring Toraji’s movement and will issue further updates as the situation develops,” said the observatory’s scientific officer, who was not named. “We urge the public to pay close attention to the latest information and take precautions as needed.”
Residents in the region have been advised to secure loose items, avoid unnecessary travel, and be prepared for potential power outages and disruptions to transportation and other critical services.
The last time Hong Kong faced a direct hit from a powerful typhoon was in 2018, when Typhoon Mangkhut caused widespread damage and claimed several lives. Authorities are determined to minimize the impact of Toraji through early preparedness and proactive risk mitigation measures.
