China issues highest typhoon warning as Saola moves towards Hong Kong

China issued the highest typhoon warning on Thursday as Typhoon Saola crawled closer to the southeastern coastline, threatening Hong Kong and other
major manufacturing hubs in neighbouring Guangdong province.
Chinese forecasters issued a typhoon red warning at 6 a.m. . China’s National Meteorological Center said Saola, currently located about 295km southeast of Guangdong province, will move northwest across the South China Sea at a speed of about 10 kph, gradually approaching the coast of Guangdong, then slowly weaken in intensity.
Wind speeds at 9 a.m. were clocked at 209 kph.
Saola will make landfall along the coast somewhere from Huilai County in Guangdong to Hong Kong on the afternoon to the night of Sept. 1, the center said.
China Railway has suspended several major train lines and Shanghai halted trains heading to Guangdong, according to local media.
As Saola edges closer to Guangdong, winds over the region will strengthen gradually, the Hong Kong Observatory said, noting that it will raise its strong wind Signal to No. 3 – the second lowest – later Thursday.