Hong Kong experiences warmest ever start to winter, but dangerous pollution levels have officials warning people to stay indoors
- Pollution levels recorded at several monitoring stations across the city were higher than usual
- Tuen Mun, Tung Chung and Southern district were the worst affected, while Central, Mong Kok, and Sham Shui Po were among the other areas deemed ‘high’ risk
Hong Kong experienced its warmest ever start to winter on Saturday, but dangerously high levels of pollution forced the city’s environmental watchdog to warn children, the elderly, and people with heart or respiratory problems to stay indoors.
Based on the Chinese calendar, the winter season started this weekend, and the 30.2 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) temperature recorded on Saturday afternoon was the warmest for the time of year since records began in 1884.
The Environmental Protection Department recorded higher than normal pollution levels on Saturday, with the Air Quality Health Index for Tuen Mun, Tung Chung and Southern district reaching “very high” levels of risk as of 5pm.
The pollution index for Central, Mong Kok, Causeway Bay, Sha Tin, Sham Shui Po, Kwun Tong, Yuen Long, Kwai Chung, Tseung Kwn O, Western district, North district and Tap Mun also reached “high” levels.
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The air quality index is based on the cumulative health risk caused by average concentrations of four air pollutants: ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide and particulate matter. The index is reported on a scale of 1 to 10+, with scores grouped into five health risk categories: low, moderate, high, very high, and serious.