HONG KONG, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- As tropical cyclone Nangka is moving away from Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Observatory issued the Strong Wind Signal No. 3 at 7:40 p.m. local time on Tuesday to replace the No. 8 Northeast Gale or Storm Signal.
At 9:00 p.m. local time, tropical storm Nangka was estimated to be about 530 km southwest of Hong Kong and forecast to move west or west-northwest at about 20 km per hour crossing Hainan Island, according to the observatory.
Nangka will continue to move away from Hong Kong. Under the combined effect of Nangka and the northeast monsoon, Hong Kong will still be affected by strong winds, and the strong wind signal No. 3 is expected to remain in force for some time, the observatory said.
The Home Affairs Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government opened 22 temporary shelters across the territory and 109 people sought refuge at the shelters.
As at 7:00 p.m. local time, 17 cases of fallen trees were reported and there had been no report of landslide or flooding.
According to Hong Kong's Hospital Authority, two men and one woman have sought medical treatment at public hospitals during the typhoon period.
The observatory issued the No. 8 Northeast Gale or Storm Signal on Tuesday morning as typhoon Nangka neared Hong Kong. Many of the public services and all classes were suspended owing to the typhoon. Enditem