Whirlwind romance? Hong Kong’s ‘Chubby Hearts’ display calls second timeout ahead of expected high wind speeds

Heart-shaped balloon first taken down last Saturday as wind speeds in Central exceeded installation’s maximum limit

Strong northeast monsoon is expected to bring slightly cooler weather to the coast of southern China over weekend and early to midweek next week

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Two three-metre-high heart-shaped balloons are displayed at Central’s Statue Square Gardens in place of the original 12-metre installation. Photo: Edmond So

Published: 4:55pm, 23 Feb 2024Updated: 6:54pm, 23 Feb 2024

Hong Kong’s giant heart-shaped balloon installation took another break as high wind speeds forced its organiser to dismantle the floating artwork on Friday for the second time in a week since its Valentine’s Day launch.

The Hong Kong Design Centre, which organised the event, wrote on social media on Friday that the 12-metre (39-foot) “Chubby Hearts” display at Statue Square Gardens in Central would be briefly paused due to expected “sudden changes in wind speed and direction” .

A strong northeast monsoon was forecast to bring slightly cooler weather to the coast of southern China over the weekend and early to midweek next week.

Temperatures might drop by about five degrees Celsius (41 Fahrenheit) to 16 degrees by next Friday.

The Chubby Hearts installation in Central was first taken down briefly on February 17. Photo: Dickson Lee

The balloon would need to be taken down if the wind speed reached about 41km/h (25mph), similar to that experienced under a typhoon No 3 signal, a source said.