Hong Kong welcomes end of summer heat, but Observatory warns of hotter autumn ahead
- Arrival of lunar calendar’s ‘Chushu’ offers little relief, with forecaster predicting anticyclone will bring hot weather in coming days
Hong Kong welcomed the lunar calendar day of “Chushu” on Thursday, indicating the end of the summer heat and the arrival of autumn coolness, but the weather forecaster said the city might be facing a hotter-than-usual September and October due to climate change.
“Chu” means the end and “Shu” refers to the summer, according to the ancient Chinese calendar used to guide farming.
Ancient inhabitants believed the weather changed every 15 days and the time of the year affected the cycles of insects, plants, rainfall and the length of days – conditions essential for farming activities.
But on Thursday, the Observatory said an anticyclone would bring very hot weather to Hong Kong in the next couple of days. The amber heat stress at work warning was issued by the Labour Department at 1pm.
Temperatures for next week will remain high, reaching 26 to 31 degrees Celsius (88 Fahrenheit), according to the forecaster.
The Observatory predicted that against the backdrop of climate warming, the temperature of August-October 2024 in Hong Kong was expected to be normal to above normal.
Last year, Hong Kong endured one of the second-warmest years on record, with all 12 months hotter than usual.