Hong Kong reports hottest day in September since records began in 1884
- Observatory reports temperature of 35.3 degrees Celsius on Monday afternoon, breaking previous record from 1963 for September
- Mercury reaches around 33 degrees in many parts of Hong Kong, while residents in New Territories sizzle under even higher temperatures
Hong Kong’s weather forecaster reported temperatures of 35.3 degrees Celsius on Monday afternoon, the highest daily figure for September since records began in 1884.
The figure broke the city’s previous record of 35.2 degrees, which was logged on September 5, 1963, the Observatory wrote on social media, as the mercury earlier soared to around 33 degrees in many parts of Hong Kong at about noon.
But residents in the New Territories sizzled under even higher temperatures, with Sheung Shui reaching 36.6 degrees, while Sha Tin and Tseung Kwan O hit 34.3 and 35.7 degrees, respectively.
Law Hiu-fai, a scientific officer with the Observatory, said a dry continental airstream would continue to bring generally fine and very hot weather to southern China on Tuesday.
“The dry continental airstream is not ideal for cloud formation and facilitates temperature rising from the ground, which is a normal situation for recording a higher temperature,” he said.
Law added that an easterly airstream was also predicted to affect the region’s coastline during the middle of the week.
The city’s forecaster also said it expected a broad trough of low pressure to produce showers across Guangdong’s coast and the northern part of the South China Sea, with the rainfall to ease off once the trough departed in the latter part of the week.