Scaffolding collapses, 339 flights cancelled as Typhoon Noul moves closer

Observatory says Noul has intensified and is forecast to come within 100km of Hong Kong on Sunday morning A section of scaffolding has collapsed at a building along Cheung Sha Wan Road. Photo: Karma Lo A large section of scaffolding has collapsed onto a building in Hong Kong as Typhoon Noul heads towards the region, with gusts of up to 110km/h battering parts of the city and more than 330 flights cancelled. The Hong Kong Observatory said on Saturday that Noul had intensified and was forecast to come within 100km (62 miles) of the city on Sunday morning, while rain associated with the outer bands of intense thundery showers from the storm was already affecting parts of the city. Police said they received numerous calls at around 4.11pm on Saturday about scaffolding collapsing along Cheung Sha Wan Road. A video clip of the incident shows multi-storey scaffolding on a high-rise tower collapsing and crashing onto a building below. It was not immediately clear if anyone was injured in the collapse. The Observatory said that wind gusts of up to 110km/h were recorded in certain parts of the city in the hour before 4.45pm. The forecaster issued the No 3 typhoon signal at 1.20pm, adding it would assess the need for a higher warning between 9pm and midnight. Afternoon classes at some schools were cancelled, and the Housing Authority said it had stepped up typhoon preparedness at construction sites. “In the past few hours, Noul moved steadily across the northeastern part of the South China Sea and intensified slightly,” the Observatory said. “With its strong winds and outer rainbands gradually affecting the coastal areas of Guangdong, local winds will strengthen progressively.” Cathay Pacific says it has cancelled all its flights in and out of Hong Kong between 1.15am and 6pm on Sunday. Photo: May Tse A check of the Hong Kong airport’s website showed at least 49 flight cancellations on Saturday and 290 for Sunday. Cathay Pacific said it had cancelled all its flights in and out of Hong Kong between 1.15am and 6pm on Sunday. Unhandled type: inline-plus-widget {"type":"inline-plus-widget"} “A small number of other flights will be delayed as we set up our flying plan to resume once the typhoon passes,” it said. “We have also waived rebooking fees, rerouting fees and allowing full refunds.” Steven Yiu Si-wing, acting chief executive officer of the Airport Authority, called on passengers to confirm their flights before heading to the airport. “We believe some flights will be affected and [airlines] have already activated the mechanism for flight rearrangements,” he said, adding that the authority would provide more updates on Sunday morning. At 2pm, Noul was estimated to be about 290km (180 miles) east-southeast of Hong Kong. It was forecast to move northwest at about 18km/h (11 mph) across the northeastern part of the South China Sea, in the general direction of the Guangdong coast. “Members of the public are advised to stay away from the shoreline and not to engage in water sports,” the Observatory said. Education authorities announced that afternoon classes at kindergartens and schools for children with disabilities would be suspended. But schools were advised to keep their premises open and implement contingency measures to look after pupils who had already arrived. They should also ensure that conditions were safe before allowing pupils to return home. The Housing Authority said its contractors had implemented preventive measures at construction sites to mitigate the impact of the storm. Measures included inspecting scaffolding to ensure stability and covering slopes under construction with tarpaulins. The Civil Engineering and Development Department said it was implementing an emergency response action plan for certain low-lying and coastal areas across Hong Kong to mitigate the risk of flooding. According to the forecast, Noul is expected to make landfall between Huizhou and Shanwei on Sunday morning, bringing frequent heavy squally showers and thunderstorms. The name Noul, provided by North Korea, means “glowing crimson skies”.