Powerful Typhoon Usagi Makes Landfall Near Hong Kong

By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist

September 22,2013; 9:30PM,EDT

 

 

Residents of Hong Kong are seeing strong winds overnight and into Monday morning from Usagi.
Usagi strengthened into a super typhoon Thursday night local time (Thursday morning EDT) as it barreled toward southern Taiwan.
The mountainous terrain of Taiwan caused Usagi to weaken just below super typhoon status on Saturday local time. However, despite Usagi weakening, it remains a very strong and dangerous Typhoon.
Winds in Hong Kong gusted to over 50 mph as the storm made landfall, with some locations closer to the landfall over typhoon force

The typhoon made landfall in southeast China near Shantou around the intensity of a category 2 or 3 hurricane in the Atlantic.
Despite weakening a bit further as it moves inland Sunday night, Usagi will still lash Hong Kong and Southeast China with widespread flooding rain, damaging winds and significant coastal flooding.
As of Sunday morning, EDT, there have already been several reports of winds gusting over 160 kph (100 mph).
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The worst coastal flooding will occur as Usagi passes by to the west of a given point. In addition to flooding, the torrential rain threatens to trigger landslides in the higher terrain.

The coastline will be subject to an inundating 1.5- to 3-meter (5- to 10-foot) storm surge, with the highest values occurring to the east of Hon Kong.
Usagi's damaging wind threat will continue to lessen as it moves onshore and begins to weaken. Flooding rain, however, should continue to accompany Usagi as it tracks westward across South China and into northern Vietnam and Laos Monday through Wednesday.
Meteorologists Eric Leister and Alan Reppert contributed to this story