Hong Kong braces for biggest storm in decades

Hong Kong was on Sunday bracing for a "severe typhoon" that could become the most powerful storm to hit the Chinese territory in more than three decades.

Typhoon Usagi was on course to hit Hong Kong, an important financial centre, and the Pearl River Delta, a crucial manufacturing region for the global economy in the southeastern Chinese province of Guangdong, on Sunday evening.

Hong Kong Observatory, the local weather bureau, said Usagi was 320km east of Hong Kong at noon on Sunday. It said the storm was moving towards the city at 20km per hour, and generating winds of 165km an hour near its centre.

Usagi, which was earlier classified as a more powerful "super typhoon" - a storm with winds surpassing 185km an hour - battered southern Taiwan and the northern Philippines as it passed west through the Luzon Strait towards China.

Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong's flag airline, plans to halt operations in Hong Kong from 6pm due to the typhoon. It said it had not cancelled any freight flights, but had arranged for earlier departure or delayed arrival for existing cargo flights. Cathay said it would resume services on Monday, weather permitting.

Hong Kong airport said ferry services to key manufacturing centres in Guangdong, including Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Dongguan, had been cancelled. It added that ferry routes to Macau, the world's biggest gambling centre, may also be affected.

Usagi - which means "rabbit" in Japanese - is the most powerful storm to develop in the world this year. It comes as China winds down celebrations for the mid-autumn festival, a popular holiday when many businesses close.

Over the weekend, Hong Kong residents stocked up on supplies in preparation for the storm, which comes 14 months after the territory was hit by Typhoon Vicente, the most powerful storm to hit southeast China in years.

Hong Kong Observatory said it would consider raising its storm warning level to Signal No 8 later on Sunday, which would effectively shut down the city as public transport would stop operating.

"There is a high chance Usagi would make landfall to the east of Hong Kong and will be closest to the territory around tonight and early tomorrow morning," it said.

China's National Meteorological Administration issued a "red warning" - its highest alert - saying Usagi would hit Guangdong, Fujian and Zhejiang provinces.

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