Inclement Weather procedures

Student safety is a priority of the American International School. When Hong Kong experiences severe weather conditions, the school adheres to official public announcements from the Hong Kong Observatory. AIS follows the Education Bureau’s guidelines for school closures.

The Education Department makes a decision before 6:00AM and distributes an official announcement to the media, on both radio and television. Families are reminded to listen to these announcements carefully. To avoid unnecessary congestion of telephone lines, families should not telephone AIS to request a decision. Additionally, the school website will be updated, and school administrators will email families, as appropriate.

Using the information provided, parents and guardians families are expected to take every precaution to ensure their children remain safe. In circumstances other than declared rainstorms or typhoons, student tardiness or absence due to inclement weather conditions requires a parental letter of explanation.

For information regarding weather conditions, we recommend the following sources:

Education Bureau

hk observatory

HKO Telephone: 1878-200
(press 1 for Cantonese, 2 for Mandarin, 3 for English)

RTHK: Radio 1 (FM 92.6) and Radio 2 (FM 94.8)

Rainstorm

The rainy season in Hong Kong is normally between April and September, but can occur sporadically throughout the year.

Amber Signal

Parents, students, school authorities and school-bus drivers should listen to radio or television announcements on weather, road and traffic conditions.

Candidates for public examinations should attend the examinations as normal, but should listen to radio or watch television in case the weather deteriorates suddenly.

Red Signal

Black Signal

Before school starts:

Classes suspended. Students stay home.

School premises will be appropriately open and staffed to look after those students arriving or leaving, to ensure their safety.

Internal tests, examinations and outdoor activities will be postponed or cancelled.

When students have already set out for school:

Students should normally proceed to the school unless road or traffic conditions ahead are unsafe.

School-bus drivers should listen to radio broadcasts on the development of the rainstorm and ensure that students will be taken to a safe place, normally the school, unless road or traffic conditions ahead warrant otherwise.

There will be no normal classes. Students arriving at school should remain there until it is safe for them to return home.

When school is in session:

Students should remain in school until the end of school hours and conditions are safe for them to return home.

Localized Heavy Rain advisory

Please note that the measures above also applies when the “Localized Heavy Rain Advisory’ is issued. This special advisory applies when rainfall does not reach the criteria to issue the Red or Black Rainstorm Warning Signal, but it does meet the threshold in localized areas.

Typhoon

The typhoon season in Hong Kong is normally between May and November, with the most active period being July to September.

Typhoon Signal #1

School is open as usual.

Typhoon Signal #3

Early Childhood and Grade 1 Junior classes are suspended.

Typhoon Signal #8 +

School is closed for all students and school buses do not operate.

If school is already in session when the signal is hoisted, parents may pick their children up at school to take them home.

Students may also stay in school until it is safe for them to return home.