HKSAR gov't fully prepared as typhoon Yagi draws near

HONG KONG, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government is fully prepared to respond to typhoon Yagi, as the Hong Kong Observatory said on Thursday that it will issue gale or storm signal no. 8 at around 6:20 p.m. local time.

The Hong Kong Observatory said in a press release that local winds will strengthen progressively under the influence of typhoon Yagi, a mature storm. According to the present forecast, Yagi will remain at super typhoon intensity and skirt around 300 km to the southwest of Hong Kong on Friday morning.

The observatory said that the intense rainband associated with Yagi will gradually affect the city later today. There will be heavy squally showers tomorrow. Seas will be very rough with swells, and residents are reminded to stay away from shorelines and not engage in water sports.

In response to the typhoon, relevant departments of the HKSAR government have stepped up preventive work in recent days, such as conducting special inspections in some places with high risk of flooding, providing sandbags and installing equipment to villages in low-lying areas, to minimize the impact of the typhoon on Hong Kong.