HK flights cancelled as typhoon approaches

Hong Kong hunkered down Monday as Typhoon Nida swirled towards it, with more than 100 flights cancelled and schools closed, and Guangzhou in neighbouring mainland China issued its top storm alert.

Hong Kong was expected to raise a "T8" storm signal -- the third-highest -- Monday evening as the storm edged closer to the city, packing winds of 120 kilometres (75 miles) per hour.

Guangzhou, the capital of neighbouring Guangdong province where Nida was expected to make landfall on Tuesday, issued its first-ever red alert for storms, with schools and outdoor work suspended.

Cathay Pacific and its subsidiary Dragonair cancelled all of their flights in and out of Hong Kong for 16 hours.

"Typhoon Nida moves closer to Hong Kong," a statement jointly issued by the two airlines said Monday.

"Flight departures and arrivals at Hong Kong International Airport Monday will be suspended from 10 pm until 2 pm" on Tuesday.

That will include more than 100 flights, said a spokeswoman for  Cathay Pacific, the city's flag carrier.

Hong Kong authorities shut kindergartens and special needs learning institutions on Monday.

"Local winds are expected to strengthen significantly around dusk," said a weather bulletin.

"There will be squalls, heavy rain and rough seas after sunset. There may be flooding in low-lying areas."

Those living in the storm's projected path when it reaches mainland China have been told to prepare three days-worth of food and other essentials, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the National Commission for Disaster reduction.

The southern cities of Zhuhai and Shanwei have also issued red alerts, while nearby Shenzhen had issued a yellow one -- the third most severe.

More than 220 flights out of Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai airports would be cancelled before the storm passed over Tuesday, the Sohu news portal said.

Nearly 2,000 workers constructing the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge were evacuated Monday morning, and more than 2,000 others working on an offshore oil platform were relocated Sunday evening, Xinhua said.

Nida brought strong winds and torrential rains to the northern Philippines over the weekend.

Southern China has been hard-hit by storms this summer.

Super Typhoon Nepartak brought chaos to Taiwan in July and left at least 69 dead once it made landfall in the mainland's eastern province of Fujian, despite having been downgraded to a tropical storm.

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