My Take | Cold-weather bravado in Hong Kong is far from cool
As the coldest temperatures in 40 years hit the city, there are people still paying little attention to potential dangers and possible consequences
Polar vortex sounds like a bad sci-fi movie with an improbable plot. But there seems to be plenty of gullible people who believe the atmospheric condition that is causing the coldest weather in Hong Kong in 40 years is going to bring snow – all because they have read such rumours online.
Hundreds of snow and frost chasers drove and hiked up Tai Mo Shan and Fei Ngor Shan yesterday. They found no snow but plenty of frost. Unsurprisingly, more than 100 people were stranded.
Many had not dressed adequately and requested emergency help. But the slippery surface caused cars to be jam-packed along steep roads, blocking emergency vehicles from reaching those in need. At least one person was in a critical condition. Fire crews had to walk up to 3km to reach those trapped people.
“We came here to watch snow,” a young man said on NOW TV news. “We are a bit disappointed and freezing.”
Another man was running a marathon but dressed only in a windbreaker. This was despite prior warnings from organisers about sub-zero temperatures.
“It’s too cold. Even if I wore more clothes it would still be unbearable,” he told SCMP.com.