Tropical Storm Ma-on barrels towards Hong Kong, Guangdong province

Several cities in southern China raised their cyclone warning signals on Wednesday, bracing for Tropical Storm Ma-on, which is expected to make landfall along the coast of Guangdong province on Thursday. At 12:40 p.m. (0440 GMT), the Hong Kong Observatory issued a strong wind advisory, with speeds up to 62 kph (39 mph) expected. The storm, about 440 km southeast of Hong Kong, will lash the city with heavy rains later Wednesday and into Thursday morning. Hong Kong issued its third-highest typhoon warning on Wednesday evening as the storm trundled closer to the city, with authorities warning people to stay indoors. The ninth cyclone of the season, Ma-on is expected to generate waves of five to eight metres across the northern part of the South China Sea, according to local media. Storm surges are expected to affect several cities in Guangdong province, including Shenzhen, Chaozhou, Huizhou and Yangjiang. Shenzhen airport said it will suspend operations from 3:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, according to a statement from its official weibo account, and the city's railway department suspended some train services between Wednesday and Friday, the local Southern Metropolis Daily reported.<br/>