e-Bulletin for Parents - 22 April 2026

Should parents let their children go to school under inclement weather conditions?

When inclement weather may affect the safety of students, the Education Bureau (EDB) will keep in close contact with the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO). In the event of tropical cyclones and heavy persistent rain, with reference to the latest information provided by the HKO, the EDB will announce the school suspension arrangements for the corresponding periods via the following channels:

mass media;
the EDB website (http://www.edb.gov.hk/en);
the EDB hotline (Tel: 2891 0088);
the webpage “Press Releases” on the Government website (http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/today.htm); and
“iAM Smart” mobile application (https://www.iamsmart.gov.hk/en/app.html).

Parents should pay close attention to the EDB’s announcements to stay informed about the latest arrangements. Even when no weather warning is in force, parents can also stay updated on the latest weather conditions and “Special Weather Tips” through the HKO webpage on “Weather Information for Schools” (https://www.hko.gov.hk/en/school/school.htm) or the “MyObservatory” mobile application (https://www.hko.gov.hk/en/myobservatory.htm) to assess whether activities or journeys will be affected by relevant weather conditions.

Regarding inclement weather conditions, including the issuance of Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 3 or above, Red or Black Rainstorm Warning Signal, and other special weather conditions, the EDB has established a communication mechanism with the HKO and issued the Circular to inform schools of the measures to be taken for tropical cyclones or heavy persistent rain. Parents can make reference to the relevant materials including the TV Announcements in the Public Interest (APIs), Rainstorm Warning Posters, Leaflets, Bookmarks and Labels.

As adverse situations caused by persistent rain could develop and dissipate quickly, to ensure student safety, please note the following arrangements:

Before school hours: If a RED or BLACK Rainstorm Warning Signal is in force before school starts or while students are on their way to school (i.e. at or after 5:30 a.m. and before 8:00 a.m. for AM and whole-day schools; at or after 10:30 a.m. and before 1:00 p.m. for PM schools), students do not need to attend schools. Students who have not left for school should stay home. Those who have already set out for school should decide whether to continue their journey to school taking into consideration the rain, road, slope or traffic conditions. Students who have already arrived at school should remain in school until it is safe for them to return home. Schools are required to keep their premises open and implement contingency measures to look after students who have arrived at school.
During school hours: If such signal is in force during school hours (i.e. at 8:00 a.m. or after for AM and whole-day schools; at 1:00 p.m. or after for PM schools), students should continue lessons until the end of normal school hours; schools should ensure that conditions are safe before allowing students to return home. Parents do not need to pick up their children from school immediately.

In addition, as the situations in localised area(s) may differ from the territory as a whole, emergencies may also arise unexpectedly. Such situations should be handled in accordance with the individual circumstances in a flexible manner to ensure the safety of students. In this regard, the EDB Circular stipulated that parents can exercise their discretion in deciding whether or not to send their children to school having regard to the weather conditions. They should keep their children at home for the sake of safety if the local weather, roads, slopes or traffic are in adverse conditions. Schools will exercise discretion in handling the students for lateness or absence from school at parents’ discretion on the respective day with inclement weather or flooding, and such students will not be penalised for that reason.