Hong Kong’s record heat likely to stay on the boil after hottest June in a century

Hong Kong last month experienced its hottest June since records began more than a century ago - and the city can expect hotter-than-usual weather for the next two months.

The average mean temperature last month hit a scorching 29.7 degrees Celsius, the highest since records began in 1885. That is 1.8 degrees higher than the June average of 27.9 degrees, figures from the Hong Kong Observatory show.

This is the second consecutive year the monthly average temperature has hit a new high in June. The previous record was smashed last year when the mercury hit 29 degrees on average for the first time.

According to the Observatory's forecasts, the hotter-than-usual weather will continue in July and August, with temperatures likely to range between "normal to above normal" levels.

Chief experimental officer Li Kin-wai said a sub-tropical ridge in the West Pacific Ocean - which brought hot weather to the city in June - was expected to continue to influence Hong Kong in the coming months.

"The extent of the heat will depend on how westward it will extend to," Li said. "The further west it goes the hotter it will be."

In March, weather officials said the city should be prepared for more temperature records this year, with more frequent heatwaves and hot spells and fewer cold days.