SMG hoisted Signal No.8 for nearly 12 hours

The Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG) hoisted Signal No.8 for nearly 12 hours on Tuesday as Typhoon Nangka moved westward through the South China Sea, eventually making landfall in Hainan.
At its closest point to Macau, the tropical storm was about 400 kilometers southwest of the territory. However, because of the combined effect of a nearby typhoon and simultaneous monsoon, the SMG decided to raise the high-level warning.
The SMG had hoisted Signal No.1 as early as Sunday night in anticipation of the storm. It raised Signal No.3 at 8 p.m. on Monday, noting the possibility of elevating the signal the following day. The bureau raised Signal No.8 at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning and lowered it only at 7 p.m.
According to the bureau, it detected wind speeds at times that warranted Signal No.8 under the new typhoon framework introduced in June 2018. However, aside from heavy rain, the weather was considerably calm for most of the day.
Also on Tuesday, Acting Chief Executive André Cheong described Nangka as the first “real test” for the Civil Protection Structure.
The typhoon was the first Signal No. 8 since the promulgation of the Civil Protection Law on September 15. The new law stipulates that when the typhoon signal is issued in Macau, the city is placed under special status and the Civil Protection Structure should prepare and react accordingly. DB