Month: July 2025

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     With Tropical Storm Wipha approaching Hong Kong, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, chaired a meeting of the steering committee on inter-departmental handling of typhoons this afternoon (July 18) to ensure comprehensive and adequate preparations and response planning by relevant departments to cope with possible threats of Wipha. The Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing; the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan; the Acting Secretary for Security, Mr Michael Cheuk; and representatives from relevant bureaux and departments attended the meeting.
 
     At the meeting, members were briefed by the Director of the Hong Kong Observatory on the latest assessment on Wipha. According to the present forecast, Wipha will enter within 800 kilometres of Hong Kong around midnight tonight. The Observatory will issue the Standby Signal No. 1 then, and consider issuing the Strong Wind Signal No. 3 during the day on Saturday (July 19). Wipha will be rather close to the vicinity of the Pearl River Estuary on Sunday (July 20). There will be heavy squally showers and thunderstorms. The Observatory will assess, on Saturday afternoon, the need of issuing higher tropical cyclone warning signals thereafter based on the latest weather information, including Wipha’s distance to the Pearl River Estuary, its intensity and the change in local winds. The public is advised to pay close attention to the latest weather forecast and warnings from the Observatory.
 
     In response to the possible adverse weather conditions, Mr Chan co-ordinated the preparatory work of relevant departments at the meeting, which includes:
 

• The Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre (EMSC) under the Security Bureau has made advance preparation and stands ready for activation. It will be fully activated upon the issuance of Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8. Utilising the Common Operational Picture, the EMSC will conduct real-time citywide monitoring, and integrate updates from various departments to swiftly assess risks and formulate response plans and measures. Various emergency response teams, including the Fire Services Department, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Civil Aid Service and the Auxiliary Medical Service have completed all necessary preparatory work and are on standby, with sufficient manpower deployed to handle possible emergencies during heavy rainstorms and high wind, and to provide assistance to those in need.
• The Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre of the Transport Department will continue to operate round-the-clock. It will also closely monitor traffic and transport conditions with public transport agencies, and disseminate emergency traffic information and public transport service arrangements to the public in a timely manner.
• The Development Bureau (DEVB) is co-ordinating preparation work to deal with flooding, landslides and fallen trees and ensure safety of building structures. Emergency control centres of various departments are fully prepared to respond. The DEVB has also pooled the resources from contractors of works departments to ensure that sufficient manpower and resources are available for handling emergency situations.
• The Drainage Services Department (DSD) completed the special inspection and carried out necessary clearance at about 240 locations which are prone to flooding due to blockages today. The “just-in-time” arrangement will continue, with at most 180 emergency response teams to conduct inspection and clearance of drainage channels in different districts across the territory. For coastal low-lying or windy residential areas with high risks, the DSD and the Civil Engineering and Development Department have established management measures in advance, including early warning systems and emergency response arrangements.
• The Geotechnical Engineering Office and the Observatory closely monitor weather conditions and will issue a landslip warning when appropriate. Relevant departments have completed inspections of government man-made slopes with relatively higher potential impacts.
• The Buildings Department has reminded property management companies to inspect building maintenance facilities, such as bamboo scaffolding, gondolas, signboards, solar panels and the like, to ensure their stability.
• Relevant departments have completed tree risk assessments and mitigation work at locations with high risks.
• The Highways Department (HyD) inspected again the flood warning systems installed at Kwun Tong Road Underpass and 16 pedestrian subways along Shing Mun River in Sha Tin, Lam Tsuen River in Tai Po and Tai Po River with a higher risk of flooding from July 16 to 18 to ensure normal operation. In collaboration with the DSD, the department also carried out special inspections and clearance of public road sections which are prone to flooding due to blockages, including high speed road sections, such as San Tin Highway. The HyD also carried out special inspections and clearance of the drainage channels at roadside man-made slopes. In addition, the HyD has reminded relevant staff members and contractors to pay close attention to weather conditions and information released by the Observatory in order to make early preparations for the activation of the Emergency Control Centres.
• District Offices have initiated relevant response measures, including co-ordinating with other departments and organisations to enhance preparedness, preparing sandbags and water-stop boards, etc. They will also mobilise District Council members, members of “the three committees” and Care Teams to disseminate the latest weather information to residents in flood-prone areas, reminding them to make necessary preparations.

 
     The Education Bureau will closely monitor the weather conditions and announce the arrangement for schools as early as necessary to facilitate parents and students in making early preparations.
 
     The Labour Department reminded employers to make prior work arrangements for employees in times of typhoons and rainstorms as early as possible, including arrangements on reporting for duty, release from work, resumption of work and remote work (if applicable). In drawing up and implementing the arrangements, employers should give prime consideration to employees’ safety and the feasibility of employees travelling to and from their workplaces, etc. Employers should also give consideration as much as possible to the different situations and actual difficulties faced by individual employees, and adopt a sympathetic and flexible approach.

     The Government departments will continue to serve with dedication and make preparations on all fronts to safeguard the lives and property of the public as well as public safety. The Government urges the public to stay alert and stay away from dangerous places such as rivers and slopes in adverse weather conditions, refrain from water sports, and continue to pay attention to the latest news released by the Government.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     â€‹The Department of Health (DH) is today (July 18) investigating a suspected case of an illegal possession of unregistered proprietary Chinese medicines (pCms), and is urging the public not to use three types of pCms under the name of Eye Saver (a herbal formula eye conditioner) (see photo).

     The premises concerned is Macrobiotics Enterprises Limited, located at Room 155, 1/F, Peninsula Centre, 67 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. Acting upon intelligence, the DH conducted a field investigation and seized three suspected unregistered pCms. They all have the same name and packaging. However, one had Chinese words “強力” marked on it, one had Chinese words “超級” marked on it and one had Chinese words “特級” marked on it. According to the content of the package insert, the products claimed to remove ophthalmia, improve and prevent cataracts, etc.

     The DH’s investigation is ongoing. So far, no related adverse reports have been received.

     According to section 119 of the Chinese Medicine Ordinance (Cap. 549), no person shall sell, import or possess any pCm unless it is registered. The maximum penalty is a fine of $100,000 and two years’ imprisonment. Upon completion of its investigations, the DH will seek advice from the Department of Justice on prosecution matters.

     Members of the public who have purchased any of the above suspected unregistered pCms should stop usage immediately. Those who have applied any of the three pCms and are feeling unwell should seek advice from healthcare professionals. People who have the product can submit it to the DH’s Chinese Medicine Regulatory Office on 16/F, AIA Kowloon Tower, Landmark East, 100 How Ming Street, Kwun Tong, during office hours for disposal.

     The spokesman said that the use of unregistered pCms may pose threats to public health as their safety, quality and efficacy are not proven. The public should not buy or use products of doubtful composition or from unknown sources. All registered pCms should carry a Hong Kong registration number on the product label in the format of ‘HKC-XXXXX’. The list of registered pCms is published on the website of the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong (www.cmchk.org.hk/pcm/eng/#main_dis.htm) for public reference.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Attention TV/radio announcers:
 
Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:
 
     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (July 18) that the Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival’s “Music and Laughs” concert scheduled for this Sunday (July 20) at 8pm at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Grand Theatre has been rescheduled to this Saturday (July 19) at 3pm at the same venue due to inclement weather forecast for the Tropical Storm Wipha.
 
     Tickets for the rescheduled performance are now available for sale at URBTIX. Ticket holders of the concert on July 20 may present the original tickets to attend the 3pm performance on July 19. Ticket holders who are unable to attend the rescheduled concert are reminded to keep the original intact tickets (with stubs) for refund. Details of the refund arrangement will be announced on the Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival website at www.pcf.gov.hk/en, Instagram and Xiaohongshu pages.
 
     For enquiries, please call 3755 3359 or email papc@lcsd.gov.hk.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, visited the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) this afternoon (July 18) to exchange views with staff representatives from various grades in the department, and to learn about the department’s latest progress in optimising operational efficiency and services through the application of technology, as well as its work in landslip prevention and mitigation and slope safety.
 
     Accompanied by the Permanent Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Clement Leung, Mrs Yeung first met with the Director of Civil Engineering and Development, Mr Michael Fong, and the directorate staff to learn about the key initiatives of the Civil Engineering Office, the Geotechnical Engineering Office (GEO) and the regional development offices. They also met with staff representatives from various grades in the department to exchange views on matters of concern to them.
 
     Mrs Yeung said, “As the expectations of the community for the civil service are constantly rising and the challenges posed by extreme weather are becoming increasingly severe, I hope my colleagues will continue to strive for excellence, review workflows to enhance efficiency and effectiveness, and respond to changes with smart innovations. This will strengthen the public’s sense of fulfilment, happiness and security.”
 
     During the visit to the GEO Emergency Control Centre, officers in charge of the centre introduced the Common Operation Picture developed and managed by the department to Mrs Yeung. This electronic system facilitates the sharing of real-time information among different government departments to assist in monitoring emergencies such as landslides, flooding and fallen trees, as well as to enhance contingency co-ordination. The GEO maintains a 24-hour, year-round emergency service to provide geotechnical advice to rescue teams and government departments on any emergency actions to be taken to deal with danger arising from landslides for their determination of co-ordinated responses and mapping plans.
 
     Moreover, Mrs Yeung learned that the CEDD started a trial run of its in-house developed, AI-empowered Landslip Warning System this year, with an aim to issue more accurate Landslip Warnings. Through the cloud technology and the Internet of Things, the system can use Hong Kong’s rainfall data, past landslide records and man-made slopes data to identify with higher accuracy the relevant attributes resulting in landslides through big data analysis. This strengthens the understanding of the relationship between rainfall and landslides. The new system can further enhance the accuracy of the predicted number of reported landslides during heavy rainstorms, thereby improving the capabilities of landslide risk assessment, optimising the issuance of Landslip Warnings, and enhancing early warning.
 
     Officers responsible for planning and terrain evaluation also briefed Mrs Yeung on the Digital Aerial Photograph Interpretation System launched last year. The system digitalises historical paper aerial photographs and centralises aerial photo imageries on an instantly accessible digital platform. This not only allows government departments and related organisations to remotely search, view and analyse high-resolution 3D data, but also empowers professionals to map and visualise 3D terrains to support related research for slope safety management and land planning. The system also eliminates the process of physical photo storage and helps shorten construction time, reduce construction costs, and promote environmental efficiency.
 
     In addition, the department’s staff introduced their approaches for enhancing the speed and efficiency to assist in promoting the development of the Northern Metropolis. The Northern Metropolis is located in a geologically complex area with very limited engineering geological data. In order to speed up development and minimise the ground investigation work required across different projects, the GEO initiated a regional ground investigation study in the Northwest New Territories, carrying out ground drilling and rock load tests in strategic areas.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

With Tropical Storm Wipha approaching Hong Kong, Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki chaired a meeting of the steering committee on inter-departmental handling of typhoons this afternoon to ensure comprehensive and adequate preparations and response planning by the Government.

 

At the meeting, members were briefed by the Director of Hong Kong Observatory on the latest assessments of Wipha.

 

According to the present forecast, Wipha will enter within 800km of Hong Kong around midnight tonight, at which point the Hong Kong Observatory will issue the Standby Signal No. 1. It will consider issuing the Strong Wind Signal No. 3 during the day tomorrow.

 

As Wipha comes close to the vicinity of the Pearl River Estuary on Sunday, there will be heavy squally showers and thunderstorms. The observatory will assess, on Saturday afternoon, the need for issuing higher tropical cyclone warning signals. The public is advised to pay close attention to weather forecasts and warnings from the Observatory.

 

The Chief Secretary co-ordinated preparatory work by relevant departments in view of possible adverse weather conditions.

 

The Security Bureau’s Emergency Monitoring & Support Centre will be fully activated upon the issuance of Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8. Leveraging the Common Operational Picture, the centre will conduct real-time citywide monitoring, and integrate updates from various departments to swiftly assess risks and formulate response plans and measures. Various emergency response teams will be on standby to handle possible emergencies.

 

The Transport Department’s Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre will work with public transport agencies to closely monitor traffic and transport conditions, and will disseminate emergency traffic information and public transport service arrangements.

 

Meanwhile, the Development Bureau is responsible for co-ordinating preparatory work to deal with flooding, landslides and fallen trees, and to ensure the safety of building structures. Emergency control centres in various departments are fully prepared to respond.

 

The Drainage Services Department (DSD) today completed a special inspection and carried out necessary clearance at about 240 locations which are prone to flooding due to blockages.

 

For coastal low-lying or windy residential areas at high risk, the DSD and the Civil Engineering & Development Department have advance management measures in place. These include early warning systems and emergency response arrangements.

 

The Geotechnical Engineering Office and the Hong Kong Observatory closely monitor weather conditions and will issue a landslip warning when appropriate. Relevant departments have completed inspections of government man-made slopes which have relatively higher potential impacts.

 

Additionally, the Highways Department (HyD) inspected again the flood warning systems installed at Kwun Tong Road Underpass and 16 pedestrian subways along Shing Mun River in Sha Tin, Lam Tsuen River in Tai Po, and Tai Po River, from July 16 to 18, to ensure normal operation.

 

In collaboration with the DSD, the HyD carried out special inspections and clearance of public road sections which are prone to flooding due to blockages. It also inspected and cleared the drainage channels at roadside man-made slopes.

 

District Offices have also initiated response measures, including co-ordinating with other departments and organisations to enhance preparedness, and preparing sandbags and water-stop boards. They will also mobilise District Council members, members of the “three committees”, and the District Services & Community Care Teams, to disseminate the latest weather information to residents in flood-prone areas.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Immersive Hong Kong roving exhibition, showcasing Hong Kong’s diversity and its latest developments, opened in Qingdao.

 

Themed “Hong Kong – Where the World Looks Ahead”, the exhibition invites visitors from Qingdao and elsewhere in Shandong to explore Hong Kong’s unique opportunities and potential in tourism, education, business and investment.

 

It comprises five thematic zones: Financial Bridgehead; I&T Brain Bank’ Blossoming Creativity; Diversity & Greenery; and Buzzing Sports Action. These feature interactive art projections, light box installations and naked-eye 3D displays, all representing the distinctive appeal of Hong Kong.

 

At today’s opening ceremony, Director of Information Services Apollonia Liu explained that as 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt & Road Summit – which is hosted each year by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region – three Belt & Road node cities on the Mainland were specially selected as locations for this year’s Immersive Hong Kong exhibition.

 

The exhibition visited Shanghai last month. Qingdao is the second stop, and will be followed by Chengdu.

 

Mrs Liu expressed hope that the exhibition will provide an opportunity for Qingdao residents to experience Hong Kong’s charm and spark their interest in visiting the city.

 

Introducing the exhibition’s highlights, Mrs Liu said the Buzzing Sports Action zone serves as pre-event publicity for the 15th National Games, due to be co-hosted by Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macau in November. She remarked that Hong Kong’s cultural and tourism appeal, and various other developments in the city, are showcased in the exhibition through naked-eye 3D displays and interactive games.

 

With Qingdao having been part of Hong Kong’s Individual Visit Scheme since March last year, Mrs Liu stressed that in addition to boosting tourism-related industries in Hong Kong, the scheme has been successful in fostering cultural integration and people-to-people bonds between Qingdao and Hong Kong.

 

As the two cities are linked by multiple direct flights operating daily, an excellent foundation has been laid for deepening tourism co-operation, promoting the sharing of resources and facilitating the two-way flow of visitors, she added.

 

The Immersive Hong Kong roving exhibition, organised by the Information Services Department, runs from today to July 27 at Lion Mall in Qingdao. Admission is free.