Flights cancelled as Typhoon Nuri lashes Hong Kong

Hong Kong: Typhoon Nuri weakened to a severe tropical storm as it landed in Hong Kong on Friday, bringing strong winds and rainfall but inflicting little damage.

No major destruction was reported, unlike in the Philippines, where Nuri killed seven people and triggered landslides and floods in the north.

But with Nuri landing in Hong Kong late yesterday afternoon, the Hong Kong Observatory said it had weakened from a typhoon to a severe tropical storm.

In Hong Kong, eight people suffered light injuries, the government said in a statement. There also were reports of toppled trees, collapsed walls and scaffoldings.

The Hong Kong Observatory issued its second-highest tropical cyclone warning. Flights, bus and ferry services were cancelled, and offices, schools and financial markets were closed.

The top signal has not been issued since 1999 when Typhoon York hit the city, killing three people.

The observatory recorded hurricane-force winds of up to 120km/h and gusts of 150km/h, and warned of "very rough seas".

After crossing Hong Kong, Nuri is forecast is move into the southern Chinese province of Guangdong. Officials have evacuated 87,000 people and recalled more than 45,000 vessels in Guangdong, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. The bad weather didn't affect the Olympic equestrian competition, which finished late Thursday.

August is Hong Kong's hottest month and typhoons can often force the entire city to close down, although they rarely cause much damage as the city's structures are designed to withstand their colossal force.

Two people were hit by falling scaffolding yesterday afternoon and taken to hospital, authorities said. Eight other people suffered minor injuries earlier in the day and there were reports of one landslide and three collapsed walls.

Courts and financial markets were all closed, and the Hong Kong Airport Authority said more than 300 flights had been cancelled, delayed or redirected as of 2pm. Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific and its sister company Dragonair announced that all flights would be cancelled for the rest yesterday.

The Airport Authority said planes were still leaving the territory, but some visitors were left stranded after their flights were cancelled.

"The airlines should have broadcast the latest typhoon news in the airport and made arrangements for us to stay somewhere. It's the first time I've come to Hong Kong, and now I have no idea what to do here," one woman told local broadcaster Cable News TV.

Seven people were killed when Nuri slammed into the northern Philippines on Wednesday, packing maximum sustained winds of 140km/h and gusts of up to 170km/h.

Nuri is the name of a blue-crowned parakeet in Malaysia, according to the Observatory.