A severe storm crossing the South China Sea is expected to make landfall early Thursday morning near Hong Kong, disrupting air travel.
Ocean and air travel industries operating to and from Hong Kong are expected to take Thursday off. A severe tropical storm is projected to make landfall in the western Guangdong province in the early hours of Thursday, August 25th. Tropical storm Ma-on has a high probability of developing into a typhoon with little advanced warning. The storm is expected to halt air and ocean transportation services for 24 to 48 hours. On the evening of the 24th, the Hong Kong Observatory issued a category eight typhoon warning. The transportation companies are doing everything they can to continue operations without endangering their staff. Even a short delay in freight movement could set back the companies’ transportation schedules considerably.
The coming storm
Extreme winds and heavy rainfall are tormenting the South China Sea. Tropical storm Ma-on has already disrupted oceanic and air shipments across the region. The storm is rapidly moving towards Hong Kong and is expected to make landfall near the city early Thursday morning. The storm could quickly develop into a typhoon with little notice. The Hong Kong Observatory issued a Category 8 typhoon warning this evening. This is the third-highest level weather alert that the city can give.
At 23:00 HKT (Hong Kong Time), the storm was located roughly 131 miles south of Hong Kong. The storm is expected to disrupt the transportation industry operating in and out of Hong Kong for the next 24 to 48 hours. International air and ocean shipping will be delayed along with many more localized transportation services.
Most passenger flights are delayed, and some are canceled over the next two days. Cargo flights are also being disrupted as most have been delayed or canceled. Cathay Pacific has stated that it adjusted many of its regular flights on Thursday to accommodate these delays. A spokesperson for the airline said,
“We aim to resume our operating schedule on Thursday evening, however, weather conditions associated with the storm may still require further short-notice changes,”
Closed ports
Airports and seaports are taking the night off to prepare for the impending storm. Seaports across the region have stopped accepting shipment containers and are not filling any as the shipments companies do not expect to export any additional goods for the next one to three days. Air cargo companies are also not filling as many shipment containers as many flights are canceled or delayed for the next one to two days.
Several cities in the region are still operating normally. Air freight remains unaffected in Guangzhou and Xiamen, and no significant changes have been made due to the nearby storm. The approaching delays will cause substantial disruptions in the schedules of all involved transportation companies. The ocean freighter companies are in the middle of their peak season, and the air freighter companies are nearing theirs. These delays will inevitably require air freight carriers to increase load size and frequency wherever possible to catch up with demand before the holiday season demand hits the air cargo companies in the next couple of months.
