Hong Kong sweats through hottest summer since records began in 1884
Hong Kong Free Press
Hong Kong has just recorded its warmest August ever, the city’s Observatory has said, adding that this summer was also the hottest since records began in 1884.
The Hong Kong Observatory recorded an average temperature of 29.7 degrees Celsius in August, which is 1 degree above normal levels, according to a statement released on Monday.
There were 15 “hot nights” in August, defined as nights when the temperature exceeds 28 degrees. The figure is one of the highest on record for August, the Observatory said. In comparison, there were six hot nights in 2021, and eight last year.
The city also witnessed its hottest summer on record, reaching an average temperature of 29.7 from June to August.
Experts and green groups have warned that the city’s increasing instances of extreme heat is evidence of climate change, as Hong Kong and the world have warmed up over recent decades.
The year 2023 was likely to be one of the warmest years on record, the Hong Kong Observatory predicted earlier. The Observatory introduced a new “extremely hot” weather warning in March, which comes into effect when the mercury soars to 35 degrees Celsius or higher.
Last year’s average temperature of 23.9 degrees was the sixth warmest. A slew of other records, including highest number of consecutive hot nights and fewest “cold days” – where the temperature falls below 12 degrees – were also broken.
Below average rainfall
As the temperature soared in August, the month also saw less rainfall than usual – about 31 per cent of the normal figure, the Observatory said.
Showers in the middle of the month caused temperatures to cool to a minimum of 25.7 degrees on August 11, which despite being the lowest of the month was still the “highest monthly absolute minimum temperature on record for August.”
The Observatory’s monthly weather round-up came after Hong Kong marked the start of September with Super Typhoon Saola, which prompted the first Hurricane Signal No. 10 since 2018.
Another storm, Typhoon Haikui, moved closer to Hong Kong on Monday as the city hoisted the No. 1 signal. It made landfall in Taiwan before heading for southern China.
Hong Kong is expected to see occasional showers and thunderstorms until the weekend, when sunny weather is forecast, according to the Observatory.
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