Authorities in Hong Kong issued a tropical cyclone alert on Saturday night amid the approach of Typhoon Wipha, leading to school closures and the cancellation of more than 250 flights

According to Reuters, the storm alert was raised to level 10 by the city's meteorological observatory at 9:20 a.m. (01:20 GMT). Storm Wipha is expected to skirt Hong Kong about 50 km south, but hurricane-force winds will affect the southern part of the city. Authorities warn the alert will remain at this level for some time.