9th June 2023 – (Hong Kong) Typhoon Guchol is predicted to strengthen into a severe typhoon by Friday, according to the Hong Kong Observatory. The actual impact on Hong Kong, including whether wind signals will be raised, depends on the actual path of the typhoon and its potential threat and range of influence.
The Observatory has indicated that the intense tropical storm Guchol had strengthened to a typhoon. As of 4pm on Thursday (8th June), Guchol was centred about 1,090 kilometres east of Manila and is expected to move northwest or north-northwest at a speed of about 10 kilometres per hour, passing through the seas east of the Philippines and continuing to intensify.
Based on the Observatory’s tropical cyclone track map, Guchol is expected to become a severe typhoon by today, with the highest sustained wind speed near the centre reaching 155 kilometres per hour. In the next nine days, there will be sudden heavy rain, and some days may experience thunderstorms with strong winds.
However, whether Hong Kong will be affected, and whether wind signals will be raised, depends on the actual path of the typhoon and its potential threat and range of influence.
According to the weather forecast, this afternoon and tonight in Hong Kong will be characterised by mostly cloudy skies with occasional showers and isolated thunderstorms. There will be some sunny intervals during the afternoon and light to moderate winds blowing from the south to southeast.
On the Hong Kong Observatory website, there is Tropical cyclone track information which show the typhoon’s movement path, speed, and wind force (highest sustained wind speed near the centre). Most importantly, it can predict when the typhoon will enter the 800-kilometre and 400-kilometre range that will affect Hong Kong, allowing everyone to be well-prepared.
According to the latest weather forecast, the low-pressure area over Guangxi and the trough of low pressure over the coast of southern China will bring showers and thunderstorms to the regions over the weekend. These two low-pressure systems will subsequently become more active, and there will be heavy showers and squally thunderstorms over the coast of Guangdong in the middle of next week. Additionally, Tropical Cyclone Guchol will move across the seas east of the Philippines and continue to intensify in the next few days, moving towards the seas south of Japan.