HK raises Typhoon Vicente warning to highest level

 HONG KONG, July 24 (Xinhua) -- As winds from Typhoon Vicente battered¹ Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Observatory² raised Tropical Cyclone³ warning to the highest level of Hurricane Signal No. 10 at 00:45 local time on Tuesday (16:45 GMT on Monday).

Hurricane Signal No. 10 means that winds with mean speeds of 118 kilometers per hour or more are expected, the Observatory said in a statement.

At 01:00 local time, Severe Typhoon Vicente was centered about 100 kilometers southwest of the Hong Kong Observatory and is forecast to move to northwest at first at about 20 kilometers per hour towards the region to the west of the Pearl River Estuary⁴. Vicente will move west-northwestwards later.

Vicente is expected to be closest to Hong Kong in the next few hours, passing within 100 kilometers of the Hong Kong Observatory. The eyewall of Vicente will come near to the southwestern part of Hong Kong, bringing hurricane force winds to those areas.

All Hong Kong residents are advised not to go outside, and remain where they are if protected and be prepared for destructive winds.

In the past hour, the maximum sustained winds recorded at Cheung Chau Beach, Tate's Cairn and Waglan Island were 127, 117 and 108 kilometers per hour respectively.

A high water level of about 3.0 meters above chart datum⁵ is expected at Quarry⁶ Bay between midnight and 03:00 local time. The high water level may cause flooding in low-lying areas in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong's tropical cyclone warning signals has five levels -- Standby Signal No. 1, Strong Wind Signal No. 3, Gale⁷ or Storm Signal No. 8, Gale or Storm Signal No. 9, and Hurricane Signal No. 10.

1 battered   

adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损

参考例句：

• He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
• The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。

2 observatory   

n.天文台，气象台，瞭望台，观测台

参考例句：

• Guy's house was close to the observatory.盖伊的房子离天文台很近。
• Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day.格林威治天文台的职员们每天对大钟检查两次。

3 cyclone   

n.旋风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• An exceptionally violent cyclone hit the town last night.昨晚异常猛烈的旋风吹袭了那个小镇。
• The cyclone brought misery to thousands of people.旋风给成千上万的人带来苦难。

4 estuary   

n.河口，江口

参考例句：

• We live near the Thames estuary.我们的住处靠近泰晤士河入海口。
• The ship has touched bottom.The estuary must be shallower than we thought.船搁浅了。这河口的水比我们想像的要浅。

5 datum   

n.资料；数据；已知数

参考例句：

• The author has taught foreigners Chinese manyand gathered rich language and datum.作者长期从事对外汉语教学，积累了丰富的语言资料。
• Every theory,datum,or fact is generated by purpose.任何理论，资料、事实都来自于一定的目的。

6 quarry   

n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找

参考例句：

• Michelangelo obtained his marble from a quarry.米开朗基罗从采石场获得他的大理石。
• This mountain was the site for a quarry.这座山曾经有一个采石场。

7 gale   

n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等）

参考例句：

• We got our roof blown off in the gale last night.昨夜的大风把我们的房顶给掀掉了。
• According to the weather forecast,there will be a gale tomorrow.据气象台预报，明天有大风。