Severe Typhoon Noul came ashore in Guangdong, and Hong Kong sat under a No. 9 signal with the Observatory weighing a No. 10

Noul came ashore over Huidong, in Huizhou City, early on Sunday local time. The Hong Kong Observatory's 4 a.m. bulletin put Severe Typhoon Noul about 80 kilometres east-northeast of the Observatory, near 22.6 degrees north and 114.9 degrees east, forecast to move northwest at about 18 kilometres per hour across the coast of eastern Guangdong, and skirting within 100 kilometres northeast of the city.

The Increasing Gale or Storm Signal, No. 9, was in force. It is the second-highest of Hong Kong's tropical cyclone signals, and the Observatory said it would assess the need to issue the Hurricane Signal, No. 10, depending on the change in local wind conditions. No. 9 or above was expected to stay up until at least 7 a.m.

The wind readings are in the bulletin. In the hour to 4 a.m. the maximum sustained winds recorded at Tate's Cairn, Cheung Chau and Waglan Island were 97, 93 and 86 kilometres per hour, with maximum gusts exceeding 130, 131 and 106 kilometres per hour respectively.

For Sunday the Observatory forecast gale to storm force west to northwesterly winds turning southwesterly and weakening gradually, cloudy skies with frequent heavy squally showers and thunderstorms, temperatures between 26 and 29 degrees, and high seas with swells. Showers were expected to continue into Monday. The precautionary announcements attached to the bulletin tell the public not to go outside, to stay away from exposed windows and doors, to keep clear of the shoreline, and to contact the airline for flight information before leaving for Hong Kong International Airport.

Figures for evacuations across Guangdong and for cancelled flights at the airport have been reported elsewhere. None of them appear in the Observatory's bulletin, and none are carried here.