Heavy flooding and serious traffic disruptions have prompted the Hong Kong government to say that the country is experiencing "extreme conditions". Regarding this, the Government announced that school classes throughout Friday (8/9/2023) were suspended.
Chief Executive John Lee has instructed all departments in his government to respond with all their might. "The Department of Labor reminds employers that all employees, other than essential staff, are not required to report for duty at work," wrote the Hong Kong Government's official website.
A low-pressure trough associated with the remnants of Typhoon Haikui has brought heavy rain to the Guangdong coast since Thursday evening. The Hong Kong Observatory noted that since last night, more than 70 mm of rainfall was recorded in most areas of Hong Kong, and more than 200 mm was recorded in Kowloon, the northeastern New Territories and Hong Kong Island.
Observatory Headquarters recorded hourly rainfall of 158,1 mm between 23.00 last night and midnight, which is the highest record since 1884. The extreme conditions will continue at least until the afternoon.
Taking into account road and traffic conditions and other factors, the Hong Kong Department of Labor said that employers should take a sympathetic and flexible approach, while primary consideration should be given to employee safety. “For workers who are unable to report to duty or return to work on time due to “extreme conditions”, employers must not withhold wages, attendance bonuses or allowances without reason, and must not penalize or dismiss the workers concerned rashly,” said a Labor Department official .
The Emergency Monitoring & Support Center under the Security Bureau was activated at 23.05 last night and disciplinary services are handling emergency requests. A number of government departments, including the Drainage Services Department (DSD), Highways Department (HyD) and Home Affairs Department (HAD), took full response measures and went to the affected areas to deal with various scenarios.
At 01.00 in the morning, DSD received 12 confirmed flood cases. Forty emergency teams from DSD and HyD were present at the flood location to handle flood cases.
After the Black Storm Warning Signal was issued at 23.05pm last night, HAD immediately activated its Emergency Coordination Center. The first temporary shelter started operating at 23.35 last night. As of 01.00 today, a total of 12 temporary shelters have been operated.
In response to the release of water from the Shenzhen Reservoir at midnight, the Northern District Office specially arranged vehicles before midnight to pick up villagers from six villages who might be affected by the flood and escort them to temporary shelters to ensure their safety. In addition to urging the public to stay indoors and away from low-lying areas in an effort to maintain their personal safety during such severe weather, the Government also encourages citizens to continue following the latest warning messages issued by the observatory, which are relevant. departments and organizations.
