- Subsiding air from Super Typhoon Mawar to cause sweltering temperatures on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to city’s weather forecaster
- Temperatures in Sheung Shui expected to soar to 38 degrees, while urban areas to reach 34 degrees
Residents soak up the warm weather on Shek O beach on Sunday. Photo: Xiaomei ChenTemperatures in Hong Kong will soar in the coming days, with the mercury expected to climb to 34 degrees Celsius and as high as 38 degrees in some areas due to the effects of a super typhoon.
The Hong Kong Observatory on Sunday said subsiding air from Super Typhoon Mawar would bring very hot and mainly fine weather to the city on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The mercury would reach 34 degrees or higher in urban areas, and a couple of degrees more in the New Territories, the forecaster said.
Hong Kong issues year’s first ‘very hot weather’ warning as temperature reaches 32 degrees Celsius
Residents in Sheung Shui, in the North district, were predicted to experience temperatures as high as 38 degrees on those days.
The district often experiences hotter weather than the urban areas in the south of the city. In the record hot July of last year, Sheung Shui reached a temperature of 39 degrees.
Residents were urged to take necessary precautions to stay safe in the sweltering heat, such as performing outdoor activities in the morning or late afternoon and avoiding prolonged exposure to sunlight.
Mawar, which is named after the Malaysian word for rose, is expected to move across the seas east of Luzon, in the Philippines, on Monday and turn northwards in the Luzon Strait in the following couple of days. But its subsequent movements are uncertain.
The Observatory said a few showers were expected in the middle and latter parts of this week.
The city’s first “very hot weather” warning this year was issued last Monday, with temperatures in some districts reaching 33 degrees during the afternoon.
At 6.45am on Sunday, the forecaster issued a reminder under its “special weather tips” that high temperatures could adversely affect the health of residents and they should stay alert and drink more water.
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The mercury in some urban areas climbed above 32 degrees at around 2pm on Sunday.
The Labour Department implemented new guidelines, which began on May 15, for workers who operate outdoors or in high-temperature environments.
The guidelines provide a three-tier warning system based on the Hong Kong Heat Index, which takes into account not only the temperature but also humidity, air circulation and solar radiation levels.
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An amber warning is issued when the index hits 30, with an upgrade to red or black when the mark reaches 32 or 34, respectively. Workers will be advised to suspend duties or rest for periods of 15 to 45 minutes based on their level of labour intensity.
The forecaster last Friday also said it would issue special weather tips on its website and deliver push notifications on its mobile application when the mercury soared to 35 degrees and warn high-risk groups such as the elderly of the health risks of extreme heat. The new advisory service will be used alongside the existing hot weather warning, issued at 33 degrees or above.
The city last year reported 15 days of extreme hot weather where the mercury topped 35 degrees – a record high.