A tropical cyclone has formed within 800 kilometres from Macao, according to the Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (known by its Portuguese initials SMG).
In a notice published this morning, the SMG said that it would raise a typhoon signal no. 1 “between tonight and early tomorrow morning,” adding that the typhoon would result in Macao experiencing “stronger winds and frequent showers with thunderstorms” later in the week.
Once fully formed later this week, the typhoon is forecasted to move across the area around Hainan Island and Western Guangdong later this week.
The SMG gave no indication as to whether or not a higher typhoon signal would be issued later, but instead said that it was “closely monitoring [the typhoon’s] development.”
Macao’s neighbouring SAR, Hong Kong, has also plans to issue a typhoon signal no. 1, with its observatory saying the alert could be raised “tomorrow morning [at] the earliest.” Hong Kong’s forecaster said it would determine the necessity of raising a higher typhoon warning on Thursday, based on the storm’s proximity and its speed.
[See more: Macao swelters under a searing heatwave]
Last Friday, the SMG issued a dispatch that mentioned the “relatively high possibility” of a tropical cyclone developing in the waters to the east of the Philippines this week.
The typhoon would be christened Typhoon Wutip (“butterfly” in Cantonese) and would be the first tropical cyclone to be named in the northwestern Pacific Ocean this year. It would also be the first typhoon to affect Macao this year.
Typhoon season in Macao began this month, with the authorities noting that the city could be hit by as many as eight typhoons this year.
As Macao braces for the incoming typhoon, it has also been dealing with scorching heat over the past several days, which saw the mercury hit 35.6ºC at the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal monitoring station on Sunday. A yellow hot weather alert remains active at the time of writing.
