Flights cancelled as Typhoon Haima heads towards Hong Kong

Schools have been closed and flights have been cancelled as Hong Kong braces for Typhoon Haima with winds of 145 km/h and torrential rain.

The Hong Kong Observatory says that although Typhoon Haima has weakened slightly, it continues to move closer to Hong Kong and still poses a substantial threat to the territory, reports News.com.au.

Flights are expected to be heavily impacted today as Haima moves closer to the coast, including flights to and from Australia.

Cathay Pacific and Qantas have already cancelled a number of services including Cathay Pacific flight 162 and Qantas flight 127 due to leave Sydney this morning.

Earlier, Typhoon Haima smashed into the Philippines killing at least eight people as ferocious gales and landslides destroyed tens of thousands of homes.

It also caused widespread destruction in the northern regions of the main island of Luzon.