Hong Kong’s weather forecaster will issue the No 8 warning signal at 2.20pm on Tuesday as Super Typhoon Ragasa nears, with authorities calling on members of the public with long journeys home to start making their moves.

At 12pm, Ragasa, which is expected to bring hurricane-force winds with speeds of up to 230km/h (143mph) and thunderstorms, was estimated to be about 420km southeast of Hong Kong.

The forecaster said that it would upgrade the No 3 signal to No 8 at 2.20pm as local winds would further strengthen, adding that it would assess the need to issue higher warning signals in the latter part of Tuesday night to early Wednesday.

“The government advises members of the public with long or difficult home journeys or having to return to outlying islands to begin their journeys now. The government is now making arrangements to release its employees accordingly,” authorities said.

Earlier in the day, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said Hong Kong had gone all out in its preparations by having “widened safety margins” for Ragasa.

Lee warned that the storm could pose significant threats to the community with rapidly deteriorating weather, heavy rains and thunderstorms, stressing that the government’s primary goal was to “ensure the safety of all people in Hong Kong”.