Hong Kong raised its highest storm warning on Wednesday as Typhoon Hato hit the city with heavy winds and rain, forcing the city's stock exchange to cancel trading.
The weather observatory raised the storm warning to the city's maximum Typhoon 10 signal -- meaning hurricane force winds are expected -- at 9:10 am (0110 GMT).
It's the first time since Typhoon Vicente in July 2012 that the city has issued its highest-level warning.
Hato is about to make landfall over Zhuhai to the west of Macau. It is expected to move away from Hong Kong gradually and starts to weaken, according to the Hong Kong Observatory.
Severe sea water flooding may occur in low-lying areas, as per the Observatory.
Streets were largely deserted on Wednesday as winds intensified and rain lashed down, with many skyscrapers in the heart of the financial centre in darkness as the city battened down for one of the worst storms in years.
Trading in Hong Kong's financial markets were suspended for the whole day, the stock exchange said.
About 450 flights have been canceled at Hong Kong International Airport as of 11 a.m., according to the Airport Authority.
All schools were closed for the day. The government opened 27 temporary shelters and 198 people have sought refuge.
