Saturday, September 21, 2013

Typhoon Usagi

The most powerful typhoon of the year swept through the Luzon Strait separating the Philippines and Taiwan on Saturday, battering island communities with heavy rains and strong winds as it headed straight for Hong Kong.
 
Typhoon Usagi weakened from a super typhoon — those with sustained winds of at least 241 kilometers (150 miles) per hour — and veered westward during the day, likely sparing southern Taiwan from the most destructive winds near its eye. At least two people were killed in the Philippines, and two others were missing.
 
By Saturday evening, the storm had maximum sustained winds of 173 kph (108 mph) and gusts of up to 209 kph (131 mph), and was 150 kilometers (94 miles) southwest of Taiwan’s southernmost point, the Central Weather Bureau said.
 
But gusts exceeding 230 kph (144 mph) were recorded on the Taiwanese island of Lanyu, with dangerous winds buffeting the holiday resort of Kending on the Hengchun peninsula as the storm made its closest approach to the area.
 
The Hong Kong Observatory said late Saturday night that Usagi was about 530 kilometers (329 miles) east-southeast of the city. It said the storm’s maximum sustained winds would weaken to 165 kph (103 mph) as it approaches Hong Kong on Sunday afternoon before making landfall overnight. The observatory issued a No. 3 Standby Signal and warned that the storm posed a ‘‘severe threat’’ to the city.

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