Hong Kong logs hottest day of year so far as maximum temperature at Observatory hits 34.6 degrees Celsius, city issues new heat alert
- Forecaster issues new alert under ‘special weather tips’ to warn high-risk groups of health risks of extreme heat
- Amber warning for outdoor workers also raised; Post check finds more supervisors were aware of the new system compared with two weeks ago
Hong Kong recorded its hottest day of the year so far on Tuesday as the maximum temperature at the Observatory in Tsim Sha Tsui soared to 34.6 degrees Celsius (94.3 Fahrenheit), prompting the city’s weather forecaster to issue a new heat alert for the first time and an amber warning for outdoor workers.
The Observatory said temperatures in most parts of the city climbed to 35 degrees in the afternoon, with mercury reaching 37.1 degrees in Sheung Shui, 37.2 degrees in Chek Lap Kok and 37.3 degrees in Yuen Long Park.
The warning for outdoor workers, as part of a recently introduced three-tier system, was in force for three hours. A Post check found that more supervisors were aware of the new rules and had allowed their employees to take breaks compared with two weeks ago when the amber signal was raised for the first time.
Approaching Typhoon Mawar brought hot weather to the city, prompting the forecaster to issue the new alert for the first time under its “special weather tips” service at 11.45am as the mercury hit 35 degrees.
The alert, which is triggered when temperatures hit 35 degrees or more, was posted on the forecaster’s website and sent through push notifications from its mobile app. It was launched last week to warn high-risk groups, such as elderly residents, of the health risks of extreme heat.
The amber signal under the Heat Stress at Work Warning system, comprising amber, red and black alerts, was in place from 12.30pm to 3.30pm.
Workers, depending on their categorised level of labour intensity, are advised to be given rests of 15 to 45 minutes in an hour under the amber level.
