Chief Executive John Lee says the SAR government is “going all out and making preparations all round” for Super Typhoon Ragasa.

Ahead of the storm's arrival, he inspected the emergency control centre of the Drainage Services Department and the temporary shelter at Nam Cheong District Community Centre on Tuesday.

Lee said Ragasa could pose a significant threat to the city and that the local weather was set to worsen rapidly with heavy winds and thunderstorms.

The Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre, he said, has been monitoring the situation across the city, while temporary shelters have been opened and the airport will remain open for passengers who need help during the storm despite mass flight cancellations.

He also said government officials had inspected and cleared 240 locations prone to flooding and readied 200 emergency drainage services teams and pumping robots for deployment.

“We are no stranger to typhoons in this part of the globe. The HKSAR Government has made advance preparations extensively and stepped up preventive measures, with more and all emergency response teams in full readiness, and with the primary goal of ensuring the safety of all people in Hong Kong,” Lee said.

“While the forces of nature may test our resolve, let there be no doubt: the HKSAR Government is going all out and making preparations all round, with widened safety margins and heightened readiness. We shall brave the storms with resilience, determination and unity."