Severe typhoon may strike Macau this weekend

A tropical depression located to the south of Taiwan will likely affect Macau midweek, while a stronger storm that could develop into a severe typhoon is brewing further east.

The smaller, more immediate storm entered the South China Sea yesterday and is gradually intensifying. In response, the Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG) raised Typhoon Signal No. 1 this morning.

The tropical depression is headed towards Hanoi, Vietnam, where it will become a low-pressure area by Friday, and weaken further. The Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG) predicts that slight flooding will occur in the Inner Harbor area this morning due to an astronomical tide.

Meanwhile, Typhoon Mangkhut – predicted to be Taiwan’s strongest typhoon this year – may approach Macau by the end of the week. Currently a tropical cyclone over the Luzon Strait, the storm is expected to move across the northern part of the South China Sea in the next few days.

Weather forecasting app Windy.com suggests that the powerful typhoon may make landfall in or close to Macau on Sunday evening, while strong winds may be expected earlier in the day.

Typhoon Mangkhut is tracking westward over the West Pacific and heading towards Hong Kong with wind speeds of 148 km/h and gusting to 185 km/hr.

The Hong Kong Observatory predicts that the tropical depression will record a maximum sustained wind at 55 km/h and expects to classify the typhoon as a low-pressure area by Friday.

“The tropical cyclone over the Luzon Strait will move across the northern part of the South China Sea in the next couple of days, bringing unsettled weather to the coastal areas of Guangdong,” the observatory predicted, as cited in Coconuts Hong Kong.

“An anticyclone aloft will bring fine weather to southeastern China on Friday. Typhoon Mangkhut near Guam will move westwards in the next few days across the western North Pacific, and intensify further. It will affect the south China coast over the weekend and pose a threat to the region,” it added.

According to reports, the typhoon is forecast to reach the East China Sea/North-West Pacific and will likely position itself over the waters, halfway from the northern tip of the Philippines and Taipei by Saturday.

Several flights to and from Guam, in the storm’s current path, were already cancelled in anticipation.

Meanwhile, with two tropical storms approaching the southern coast of China, SMG advises for the public to pay attention to tropical storm information. It said “as there are two tropical cyclones approaching the coast of Guangdong this week, [the] public are advised to pay attention to our latest tropical cyclone information.”

According to Executive Order 61/2018, a “severe typhoon” occurs when the maximum sustainable wind speed near the tropical storm center is between 150 km/h to 184 km/h, and a “super typhoon” occurs at a wind speed of 185 km/h or greater.