Hong Kong Hit by Typhoon as 40 Reported Dead in Philippines

Hong Kong: Hong Kong authorities lifted the storm alert to its highest level on Sunday as typhoon Mangkhut was fast approaching, bringing the city to a standstill as residents prepared for the threat of heavy rain, storm surges and flooding. The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) raised the storm signal to T10, closing shops and suspending transport as residents were warned to stay inside and well away from the water’s edge, reports CNN.

Mangkhut is already the storm of 2018, and is currently packing sustained winds of 165 km, with gusts up to 205 km per hour. On Saturday, it plowed into the Philippines, killing at least two people and flattening homes in small towns and villages on the northern island of Luzon. Mangkhut is now some 220 km south-southeast of the city, and heading for the surrounding Pearl River Delta, home to 120 million people. The storm is expected to be one for Hong Kong’s record books. It’s only the 15th time in the last 60 years that a T10 alert has been hoisted; the last was for super typhoon Hato last year. (IANS)