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Ernest Kao

One of the strongest El Ninos and the onslaught of global warming have put Hong Kong on course for its hottest year on record.
The summer has already gone down in the books as the hottest since the Observatory began records in 1884, with the mercury on August 8 clocking a record 36.3 degrees Celsius and the average measuring 29.5 degrees. Autumn is likely to follow suit.
Mean temperatures between January and October measured 24.7 degrees, putting it on par with 2002 as the hottest year ever in that period. Every month this year was warmer than normal, with May and June more than 1.5 degrees above average.
"There are a few weeks left but this year may very likely be the warmest since historical records began," said Observatory director Shun Chi-ming.
With November poised to be the warmest on record, the odds are that mean temperatures will be at their highest since 1998.
Globally, the World Meteorological Organisation has forecast 2015 will be the hottest on record.
Shun said El Nino - the phenomenon of warming waters in the eastern Pacific that affects weather patterns - would probably persist until the spring, meaning above-normal temperatures and rainfall was likely this winter. The phenomenon is already classified by meteorologists as the most intense since 1997.
On Monday world leaders meet in Paris to try to reach a climate agreement in an attempt to hold the rise in global average temperatures and avert the worst effects of global warming.
The environmental and ecological impacts of warmer temperatures in Hong Kong are already being felt. A new butterfly species, Prosotas nora, which is normally seen in warmer Asian climates such as in India, the Philippines and Malaysia, was recently found in the city.
The Environmental Association's Dr Yau Wing-kwong said the sighting highlighted the need to think about the broader impact of global warming on the ecosystem, which was linked to the survival of all species.
In terms of public health, human-induced warming would likely coincide with higher levels of air pollution and harmful tropospheric ozone, said Professor Amos Tai Pui-kuen, of Chinese University's earth sciences programme.
"Vulnerable groups such as the elderly would be at higher risk of heat stroke," he said.
"Some researchers expect more local infection cases of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever."
A recent report on climate change published by the Environment Bureau warned that Hong Kong could experience more hot days and nights, more extreme rainfall and coastal changes as a result of rising global sea levels and tropical cyclones.
Yesterday a joint declaration from a coalition of Hong Kong green groups dubbed climate change an "existential threat to every Hongkonger" and called for urgent action from all cities.
"The survival of many societies, and of the biological support systems of the planet", was at risk, it said.
Additional reporting by Naomi Ng
 


Hong Kong sweating towards hottest year on record as El Nino and global warming take effect

Cooler weather may be on its way, but the Observatory predicts that this winter will be warmer and wetter than average. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

A climate for change: how China went from zero to hero in fight against global warming in just 6 years

China's national flag is seen in front of a chimney of a cogeneration plant in Beijing, China, in this November 7, 2014 file photo. China expects world leaders at upcoming climate talks in Paris to be able to reach consensus, the country's climate change special representative Xie Zhenhua said on November 19, 2015, adding Beijing wants a legally binding treaty. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/Files

Workers sort coal on a conveyer belt near a coal mine in Datong, in China's northern Shanxi province on November 20, 2015. China will not improve on its pledges to control emissions, the country's top climate negotiator said on November 19 ahead of key UN climate change talks in Paris. AFP PHOTO / GREG BAKER

This picture taken on November 22, 2015 shows smoke coming out of chimneys from house rooftops in Heihe, in northeastern China's Heilongjiang province. China is the world's biggest polluter, and its emissions of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change -- along with its ability to fulfill its promises -- will be at the centre of talks starting in Paris this month that are crucial to the future of the planet. CHINA OUT AFP PHOTO

China's national flag is seen in front of a chimney of a cogeneration plant in Beijing, China. Photo: Reuters

Warming to Hong Kong: first-time butterfly species spotted at Tai Po reserve

Butterfly species Prosotas nora which was spotted for the first time in Hong Kong. Photo: Poon Chiu-jor

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Hong Kong

Health & Environment

El Nino and global warming are pushing temperatures to record highs


Hong Kong sweating towards hottest year on record as El Nino and global warming take effect

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}El Nino and global warming are pushing temperatures to record highs

El Nino and global warming are pushing temperatures to record highs