The standby signal is in effect as Tropical Cyclone Saudel was skirting at over 200 kilometres to the southeast of Hong Kong on Tuesday afternoon, and was forecast to edge closer to the coast of eastern Guangdong and intensify gradually.
The forecaster said Saudel would bring squally showers to the city, and local winds would become occasionally strong offshore and on high ground.
“Unless Saudel intensifies significantly and its associated strong winds are closer to the vicinity of the Pearl River Estuary, the chance of strong winds generally over Hong Kong is not high,” the observatory said.
Forecasters added that Saudel will linger in the northeastern part of the South China Sea and the coast of eastern Guangdong on Thursday, and there are still uncertainties in its movement and intensity, so a tropical cyclone warning signal may remain in force until later this week.