Typhoon Koinu: Hong Kong Shuts Schools, Suspends Flights As Storm Nears

Hong Kong issued a T9 signal, the second-highest storm warning signal, on Sunday, as Typhoon Koinu skirted the financial hub, bringing rains and powerful gusts.

Hong Kong suspended schools and public transport was also disrupted for most of the day.

New Delhi: Hong Kong issued a T9 signal, the second-highest storm warning signal, on Sunday, as Typhoon Koinu skirted the financial hub, bringing rains and powerful gusts. It suspended schools and public transport was also disrupted for most of the day, reported news agency AFP.

Koinu comes just a month after Hong Kong was lashed by Typhoon Saola, which triggered its highest "T10" storm alert. A week after that, the city experienced its highest rainfall in nearly 140 years, flooding subway stations and malls, and causing landslides, according to AFP.

Hong Kong's weather observatory on Sunday warned of strong winds and intense rain bands as Koinu moved towards the Pearl River Estuary and was expected to skirt as close as 70 kilometres (43 miles) south of the city before midnight.

Koinu's maximum sustained wind speed was observed at 145 kilometres (90 miles) per hour. 

At 7 pm (1100 GMT), the weather observatory raised the warning signal from "T8" to "T9".  "This means that winds are expected to increase significantly," it said. 

"Do not go outside and stay away from exposed windows and doors. Make sure you have a safe place to shelter."

Schools, daycare centres, cargo terminals, ferries and buses suspended operations for the day or the afternoon.

According to Hong Kong's Airport Authority, around 90 flights were cancelled and 130 others were delayed throughout the day due to the storm.

Earlier in the day, Hong Kong's government received reports of 11 fallen trees and six people wounded during the typhoon.

"Koinu is a mature typhoon with its eyewall edging closer to the seas south of the territory," said the Hong Kong Observatory, warning the public to avoid low-lying areas in case of a storm surge.

Before moving to Hong Kong, Koinu had grazed nearby Taiwan, bringing torrential rain and record-breaking winds to its outlying Orchid Island.