The Education Bureau announced that classes of all schools will be suspended tomorrow and the following day given that the weather is expected to deteriorate rapidly and the Gale or Storm Signal No. 8 may be issued between 1pm and 4pm on Tuesday.

The steering committee on handling extreme weather, led by the Chief Secretary, released the relevant information in response to the latest assessment and forecast on Super Typhoon Ragasa by the Hong Kong Observatory.

The decision to suspend school classes is to ensure students' safety. During the class suspension, schools will not accept paper applications for discretionary places under the Primary One Admission (POA) 2026.

The deadline for submitting paper applications has been extended to September 30. Parents may also choose to submit e-applications via the POA e-Platform on or before September 26.

District Offices will advance the opening of temporary shelters at 8am tomorrow for people in need, and individual temporary shelters will commence operation earlier today if necessary. The Home Affairs Department has activated a round-the-clock hotline 2572 8427 for public enquiries.

The Security Bureau’s Emergency Monitoring & Support Centre was fully activated at 10.30am today, more than 24 hours earlier than normal for early planning and early intervention.

Various emergency response teams, including the Fire Services Department, Police, the Civil Aid Service and the Auxiliary Medical Service, are on standby.

Under the steering committee’s co-ordination, various departments have completed all necessary preparatory work and response plans. They will serve with dedication to duty and combine efforts to safeguard the lives and property of the public as well as public safety to minimise the threats and impact of the storm.