The following is issued on behalf of the Judiciary:

Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:

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

     The Judiciary has announced that because the Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 was still in force at 6am, all hearings of the courts and tribunals, will be adjourned today (September 2).

    Those who were due to attend court hearings on September 1 or September 2 but were affected by the issuing of the Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No.8, including the jurors, should do so at 9.30am on the next working day (September 4) unless otherwise notified.

     Those who have been summoned for jury empanelment in the High Court yesterday (September 1) are not required to attend court until further notice in writing.

    As for those who have been summoned for jury empanelment in the Coroner's Court yesterday (September 1), they are required to appear in court at 9.30am on the next working day.

    Court/tribunal registries and offices will open as usual on the next working day. Before that, court users may also use the integrated Court Case Management System (iCMS) for electronic services provided by the registries of the District Court and Magistrates’ Courts as usual. Any documents filed via the iCMS during the registries’ closure period will be deemed to have been received upon their reopening.

     It is anticipated that there will be a significant number of people going to the courts. In particular, for the High Court, District Court and West Kowloon Law Courts Building, given the need for security screening, court users are advised to arrive at the court buildings earlier to allow time for screening, particularly during the peak hours.

Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:

Please broadcast the following special announcement immediately, and repeat it at frequent intervals:

     "The Social Welfare Department announces that as Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 or above is now hoisted, all welfare service units of the department, child care centres, centres providing after school care programmes, elderly services centres and day rehabilitation units including sheltered workshops, integrated vocational rehabilitation services centres, integrated vocational training centres and day activity centres will not open to the public. After the No. 8 signal is cancelled, those units that normally operate on Saturdays will resume normal operation in two hours, if the weather and conditions permit."

     The Hong Kong Observatory replaced the Hurricane Signal No. 10 with the No. 8 Southeast Gale or Storm Signal at 3.40am today (September 2).

     The Home Affairs Department opened 40 temporary shelters in various districts as at 3am and 499 people have sought refuge at the shelters so far.

     As at 3am, the Government's 1823 Call Centre and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department received 72 reports and two reports of fallen trees respectively. In addition, the Drainage Services Department received 11 confirmed cases of flooding. No report of landslide has been received so far.

     According to the Hospital Authority, as at 3.40am, a total of 51 people, including 27 men and 24 women, sought medical treatments at public hospitals during the typhoon period. 

     The Hurricane Signal No. 10 issued by the Hong Kong Observatory at 8.15pm today (September 1) remains in force.

     The Home Affairs Department opened 40 temporary shelters in various districts as at 10pm and 455 people have sought refuge at the shelters so far.

     As at 10pm, the Government's 1823 Call Centre and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department received 53 reports and two reports of fallen trees respectively. In addition, as at 11pm, the Drainage Services Department received 10 confirmed cases of flooding. No report of landslide has been received so far.

     According to the Hospital Authority, as at 9.40pm, a total of 14 people, including 10 men and four women, sought medical treatments at public hospitals during the typhoon period.

     â€‹The Hong Kong Observatory replaced the Increasing Gale or Storm Signal No.9 by the Hurricane Signal No. 10 at 8.15pm today (September 1).

     The Home Affairs Department has opened 40 temporary shelters in various districts as at 8pm today and 394 people have sought refuge at the shelters so far.

     As at 8pm today, the 1823 Government Call Centre and Leisure and Cultural Services Department have respectively received 37 reports and one report of fallen trees. The Drainage Services Department has received seven confirmed flooding cases. No report of landslide has been received so far.

     According to the Hospital Authority, as at 7.40pm today, a total of seven people, including five men and two women, have sought medical treatment at public hospitals during the typhoon period.