14/08/2013 19:07
Typhoon lashes Hong Kong with wind and rain
A typhoon lashed Hong Kong with wind and rain, closing down the bustling Asian financial center Wednesday before sweeping toward mainland China, the USA Today reports.
Offices, schools and courts were shut and the stock market halted trading as Typhoon Utor approached, bringing an eerie calm to the normally busy southern Chinese commercial hub. Dozens of flights were canceled and bus and commuter ferry services were curtailed because of the typhoon, which was packing gale-force winds with gusts of up to 138 kph (86 mph).
The storm, which also brought rough seas and pouring rain, was centered about 250 kilometers (155 miles) west-southwest of Hong Kong at around 1 p.m. local time. Forecasters said Utor's intensity had weakened and it was expected to move northwest at about 16 kph toward China's Guangdong province.
One person in Hong Kong was reported injured.