【Hong Kong Weather】Observatory: Thursday morning to issue No. 1 standby signal; weekend windy with showers and thunderstorms.

The Observatory stated that the low-pressure area in the south-central part of the South China Sea has intensified into a tropical depression, and it is expected to enter within 800 kilometers of Hong Kong later on Wednesday (July 1). The Observatory will issue the Standby Signal No. 1 on Thursday morning (July 2).

The Observatory predicts that the tropical cyclone will generally move towards the vicinity of Hainan Island and the Gulf of Tonkin on Thursday and Friday (July 2 to 3), maintaining a distance of 400 kilometers or more from Hong Kong. Winds in Hong Kong will strengthen on Friday, weather will gradually become unstable, there will be swells at sea, and squally showers will increase, with heavier rain in some areas. Due to local topography, some high ground may experience brief gale-force winds.

The Observatory also said that as the tropical cyclone makes landfall on the western coast of southern China over the weekend, Hong Kong's weather will gradually become dominated by an active southerly airstream. Winds will remain quite strong, with occasional showers and squally thunderstorms. The public is reminded to stay updated on the latest weather information, and if engaging in outdoor activities, especially water sports, to constantly monitor weather changes and pay attention to safety.

Wednesday will be mainly cloudy with a few showers

The Observatory said that a subtropical ridge is covering the northeastern part of the South China Sea, while showers are affecting Guangdong. The low-pressure area near the Philippines is bringing unstable weather to that region. Hong Kong will be mainly cloudy on Wednesday with a few showers. The minimum temperature in the morning will be about 27 degrees Celsius. During the day, there will be sunny intervals and it will be very hot, with a maximum temperature of about 33 degrees Celsius in urban areas. Light to moderate easterly to southeasterly winds.

UV index extremely high

The Observatory predicts that the maximum UV index today will be 11, with exposure level classified as "extreme."

Hot weather in the next one to two days

The nine-day weather forecast shows that tomorrow (July 2) will have sunny intervals with one or two showers. It will be very hot during the day, with temperatures ranging from 28 to 33 degrees Celsius. Friday (July 3) will have short sunny periods with a few showers. There will be swells at sea, with temperatures ranging from 27 to 32 degrees Celsius.

The Observatory expects that the subtropical ridge will bring very hot weather to the southeastern coast of China today and tomorrow. The low-pressure area currently near the Philippines will move towards the central and southern waters today and tomorrow, gradually developing into a tropical cyclone, but its intensity remains uncertain.

Winds quite strong over the weekend

Affected by the low-pressure area and the active southerly airstream, the system is expected to affect the area from Luzon to the Gulf of Tonkin later this week and over the weekend. Winds along the coast of southern China will be quite strong, and the weather will gradually become unstable. Over the weekend, there will be showers and squally thunderstorms, with swells at sea.