Hong Kong - Airline flights and other transport services were suspended and offices and businesses closed in Hong Kong Wednesday as tropical storm Kammuri battered the territory.

Cathay Pacific Airways said it would suspend all Hong Kong operations for a four-hour period, starting at 4 pm (0800 GMT), as a result of the strong winds caused by the storm.

The airline temporary suspended its online and in-town check-in services at Hong Kong and Kowloon mass transit stations and advised passengers to check with the airline before leaving home.

China Airlines said that flights between Hong Kong and Taiwan would be affected.

All ferry services to Macau, southern China and Hong Kong's outlying islands were also suspended after the Hong Kong Observatory Wednesday morning raised a Number 8 storm signal, meaning that winds stronger than 63 kilometres per hour were forecast.

Most bus and tram services were also halted as people stayed home. Hong Kong's stock market canceled trading. Under Hong Kong law, shops have to close and employees have to go home if a storm reaches category 8.

The observatory said sustained gusts of more than 80 kilometres per hour had been recorded.

The strong winds have brought down scaffolding and uprooted trees, but there have been no reports of serious damage or injuries. (dpa)