Tropical storm Prapiroon struck Hong Kong with strong wind and heavy rain Thursday, affecting at least 80 flights.

The thunderstorm will force more than 80 flights to delay leaving or landing at Hong Kong, according to sources from the Airport Authority Hong Kong. Cathy Pacific Airways announced Thursday morning it will cancel all the 19 arrival and departure flights before 12:00 a.m. (0400 GMT).

All ferry services between Hong Kong and Macao, and those between Macao and the Chek Lap Kok airport in Hong Kong have been suspended.

Train services between Hong Kong and neighboring Shenzhen city of south China's Guangdong Province were also suspended due to fallen trees which blocked the railways.

According to Hong Kong Observatory, the center of the severe tropical storm Prapiroon was estimated to be about 290 km southwest of Hong Kong. Packing winds of typhoon Prapiroon is more than 70 miles an hour and it is moving toward the island province of Hainan in the south tip of China. The observatory has issued the No. 3 strong wind signal.

Hong Kong regularly suffers torrential rain and flooding from typhoons that pass by the area every year.

(Xinhua News Agency August 3, 2006)