Killer typhoon Chanchu spins closer to Hong Kong

A killer typhoon picked up speed today as it spun closer to Hong Kong, forcing the city to urge small ships and fishing boats on the open seas to seek shelter from the storm – the strongest on record to enter the South China Sea in May.

Typhoon Chanchu’s eye was expected to pass just east of Hong Kong tomorrow before slamming into Guangdong province on China’s eastern coast, the Hong Kong Observatory said.

Chanchu, which means “pearl” in Chinese, was about 300 miles south of Hong Kong late afternoon local time today.

It was moving at 11 mph and packing winds of 103 mph near the storm’s centre, the observatory said. The storm was the strongest typhoon ever to be reported in the South China Sea in May.

It roared toward Hong Kong after whirling over the Philippines last weekend, killing at least 37 people and leaving thousands homeless.

As Chanchu approached, the observatory issued a warning that urged small ships and fishing boats on the open sea to seek shelter as soon as possible.

It also said people should stay away from the shoreline because of the threat of swells.