Super Typhoon Usagi heads for Hong Kong

[Bosonic]

Source: AFP

Super Typhoon Usagi -- one of the strongest storms of the year -- barrelled towards Hong Kong and southern China on Friday, prompting warnings of fierce winds and torrential rains.

Packing gusts of up to 205 kilometres (130 miles) per hour, the storm is projected to roar between the Philippines and Taiwan before smashing into the southern Chinese coast later in the weekend.

At 0600 GMT Friday it was centred 1,120 kilometres southeast of Hong Kong, officials in the Chinese territory said.

"It is the strongest typhoon in the west Pacific region this year," a weather forecaster at the Taiwan Central Weather Bureau told AFP.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/super-typhoon-usagi-path-destruction-063833155.html

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[BlueEye]

1. This is scary, many people could die and the local economy will be wrecked for weeks

Hopefully the Chinese government sees events like this as reason for urgency in battling climate change.

[yuiyoshida]

2. Usagi means rabbitt in Japanese

As in...

(Rabbitt Bodyguard)

[Art_from_Ark]

5. There is no rhyme or reason to the names given to typhoons

Last edited Sat Sep 21, 2013, 10:56 AM - Edit history (1)

A typhoon that only affects Japan is given a Chinese name. A typhoon that misses Japan and affects mostly China is given a Japanese name. There is no alphabetical order, nor is there any way to remember this mishmash of dissociated names from dissociated languages. It would be like calling the first Atlantic hurricane of the season Yomnik, the second one Hyeragald, third one Wish-wish, the fourth one Akhmahendijab...

[yuiyoshida]

6. Sou desu, Art san..

chotto henna ne? Very strange.. I do like Usagai though.. I can just imagine if they called it Typhoon Bunny... would it make it less harmless? I dun think so.

[Art_from_Ark]

7. I think "Typhoon Bunny" would be taking "cute and cuddly" a bit too far,

even for Japan

[yuiyoshida]

8. un!!

[Art_from_Ark]

9. There's already another typhoon that's headed for Japan

I suggest they name it "Typhoon Hello Kitty"

[yuiyoshida]

10. Look whats invaded Hong Kong!

[Art_from_Ark]

11. If there's another typhoon in the works,

we can name it "Typhoon Giant Rubber Duckie"

[yuiyoshida]

12. Kaiju Duckie!

[Art_from_Ark]

14. Can Kaiju Doraemon be far behind?

?1298714312

[yuiyoshida]

15. Meanwhile.. Kaiju Bullwinkle attacks NYC! Thousands flee!

[Art_from_Ark]

16. I saw what you did there

[Bosonic]

3. Cathay to halt all Hong Kong flights ahead of typhoon

HONG KONG — Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific said Saturday it would cancel all flights to and from the city, a day ahead of the anticipated arrival of Super Typhoon Usagi, the most powerful storm of the year.

Usagi, forecast to be closest to Hong Kong on Sunday and Monday, could pose a "severe threat" to the city, the Hong Kong Observatory said on its website.

Cathay Pacific flights in and out of the city will be cancelled from 6:00 pm (1000 GMT) Sunday, the airline said, adding that services will gradually resume on Monday "if weather conditions permit".

Dragonair, a sister airline, will halt flights for the same period.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g0Wkd6NtHi8-GtgWrL73u_6bZ46A?docId=CNG.894f32afb0dcbd001d433e21edb91ac5.2b1&hl=en

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. Now sustained winds of 150mph (240 kph), gusting to 185 mph (296 kph)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24170721

They think it will weaken before it hits the Chinese mainland. Luckily, the eye of the storm is between the Philippines and Taiwan, so no-one is getting the worst of the winds.

[dipsydoodle]

13. 39" of rain !

I saw a comparison on this subject a day or so back with London's average ANNUAL rainfall which is 24" a year.