Hong Kong  - Officials in Hong Kong issued an amber travel warning for the Philippines on Wednesday, advising people to exercise caution when travelling to the country because of severe typhoon Lupit, which could hit the Philippines next week.

The warning was issued a day after the new system was introduced by the Security Bureau.

Commenting on the travel advisory, a government spokesman said Hong Kong travellers should monitor the situation in the Philippines and exercise caution. Lupit, which is packing sustained winds of 155 kilometres per hour, could strike northern Luzon next Monday, based on current projections from the Hong Kong Observatory.

The colour-coded warning scheme was launched on Tuesday to help travellers better understand the risks to personal safety when visiting overseas.

A Security Bureau spokesman said the system, which uses amber, red and black warnings to differentiate between different levels of risk, covers 60 countries that are popular travel destinations for Hong Kong residents.

An amber alert advises caution in travelling to countries, while a red alert signifies a significant threat and advises against non-essential travel to affected countries. In a black alert Hong Kong travellers would be urged to avoid all travel to the country.

Four countries - Indonesia, Pakistan, Thailand and Turkey - were given an amber alert immediately the system came into force to reflect security concerns over recent bomb attacks and violent unrest.

The new system was introduced in the wake of civil unrest in Thailand when thousands of tourists were caught up in anti-government protests last April and December.(dpa)