Hong Kong Issues Typhoon Alert as Japan Overhauls Forecast System

The Hong Kong Observatory said it will hoist the No. 1 typhoon standby signal on Friday night as a tropical cyclone now east of the Philippines moves within 800 kilometres of the city. The warning could be raised to No. 3 on Saturday and possibly higher on Sunday, when the storm is forecast to make landfall near Guanghai Bay on China’s western Guangdong coast. Forecasters expect heavy squally showers, thunderstorms, rough seas and swells from Saturday through Monday. AI-enhanced models cited by the Observatory have consistently outperformed traditional forecasting methods and project the system’s path with higher confidence. Local authorities are advising residents and businesses to brace for strong winds and possible transport disruptions during the weekend. In a separate move aimed at improving preparedness across the region, Japan’s Meteorological Agency approved a plan to overhaul its typhoon information service by 2030. The agency intends to publish formation forecasts up to seven days in advance—compared with the current 24-hour lead time—and to issue track predictions at six-hour intervals for up to five days after a storm forms. The upgrade, the first major revamp in roughly four decades, is designed to give municipalities, transport operators and logistics firms more time to organise evacuations and protect supply chains.