As the Gale or Storm Signal No.8 is now in force, the flag-raising ceremony to be conducted at Golden Bauhinia Square, Wan Chai at 8am today (September 2) will be cancelled.

Attention duty announcers of radio and television stations:

Please broadcast the following message as soon as possible and repeat it at suitable intervals:

     The Department of Health (DH) today (September 2) announced that, as the Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 is now in force, all DH clinics are closed, except for methadone clinics which will be open for the normal operating hours. Those receiving methadone treatment can attend methadone clinics for their daily dose.

     The public is advised to pay attention to radio and television announcements.

     The No. 8 Southeast Gale or Storm Signal issued by the Hong Kong Observatory at 3.40am today (September 2) remains in force.

     The Home Affairs Department opened 40 temporary shelters in various districts as at 6am and 501 people have sought refuge at the shelters so far.

     As at 6am, the Government's 1823 Call Centre and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department received 74 reports and two reports of fallen trees respectively. The Drainage Services Department received 12 confirmed cases of flooding. In addition, as at 5am, no report of landslide has been received so far.

     According to the Hospital Authority, as at 5.40am, a total of 55 people, including 29 men and 26 women, sought medical treatments at public hospitals during the typhoon period.

TV/Radio Announcers please broadcast the following as soon as possible:
 
     As Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 or above is now in force, the Hong Kong Wetland Park is closed. The Park will re-open two hours after the signal is lowered. The Park will remain closed today if the signal No. 8 or above remains hoisted at 2pm. Any person or organisation who has paid a deposit for visiting today can contact the Park's ticket office for refund arrangements or to change the visit date.

     Hong Kong Youth Power Association has been issued a Public Subscription Permit to hold a territory-wide flag sale from 7am to 12.30pm today (September 2), a spokesman for the Social Welfare Department (SWD) said. 
      
     Details of the charitable fund-raising activities, including any updated information, covered by the issued Public Subscription Permits have been published on the GovHK website (www.gov.hk/en/theme/fundraising/search). Permits for flag days containing information on contact methods of the flag-selling organisations and the approved flag-selling activities have also been uploaded to the SWD's website (www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/page_controlofc/sub_flagdays) for reference. For enquiries, please call the SWD's hotline at 2343 2255, or the designated hotline of the 1823 Call Centre at 3142 2678.

     â€‹In the case of suspected fraudulent flag day activities, people should not make any donation and should immediately report the matter to the Police, the spokesman added.