Typhoon Hato Update

Please be advised that Typhoon Hato is approaching Southern China, and is expected to make landfall in Guangdong province tomorrow.

The tropical cyclone has continued to intensify in the past few hours and may pass within 100 kilometers south of the global financial center, posing a “considerable threat” to the city, the Hong Kong Observatory said.

The No. 8 Gale or Storm Signal may be increased around midnight, it said, after the Strong Wind Signal No. 3 was issued at 6:20 p.m. Hato, named after the Japanese word for pigeon, was estimated to be about 410 kilometers east-southeast of the city and forecast to move toward the coast of Guangdong at about 25 kilometers per hour, according to the observatory.

The ports in Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Hong Kong have already given out notifications of suspensions of services this afternoon for delivering loaded containers and collecting empty containers, and most likely will remain closed until tomorrow morning.

Should the Hong Kong government indeed hoist the Typhoon 8 signal tonight, our office in Hong Kong will be closed for at least part of the day tomorrow.

Air Freight traffic from Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou will also be affected by these conditions and delays are to be expected.