Circulation of tropical depression is relatively small and it will maintain a distance of about 300km or more from Hong Kong for most of Thursday, forecaster says

Hong Kong’s weather forecaster has said the No 1 typhoon warning signal will remain in effect on Thursday, as a tropical depression edges closer to the city, with another intensifying in the region.

The Hong Kong Observatory issued the No 1 signal at 9.20pm on Wednesday, after the tropical depression came within 800km (497 miles) of the city.

“The circulation of the tropical depression is relatively small and it will maintain a distance of about 300km or more from Hong Kong for most of the time [on Thursday],” it said.

The forecaster earlier said that the cyclone, which has yet to be named and is located over the northern end of the Philippines, was expected to move across the northeastern part of the South China Sea in the next couple of days.