Hong Kong search and rescue teams deployed 14 times in adverse weather conditions this year, official says
Hong Kong Free Press
Hong Kong search and rescue teams have been called out to help stranded Hongkongers under adverse weather conditions 14 times this year, a government official has revealed.
Since 2020, the Fire Services Department and the Hong Kong Police Force have been deployed to handle 35 mountain rescue or immersion incidents while rainstorm warnings or a T3 typhoon signal or above were in force, Acting Secretary for Security Michael Cheuk said on Wednesday.
“Among these incidents, 11 required the deployment of the [Government Flying Service] to provide air search and rescue services,” Cheuk said. He was responding to questions from lawmaker Nixie Lam about Hongkongers seeking assistance “due to dangerous situations encountered while engaging in outdoor activities under adverse weather conditions.”
| Year | Number of mountain rescue incidents | Number of immersion incidents | ||
| When a Rainstorm Warning Signal was in force | When Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 3 or above was in force | When a Rainstorm Warning Signal was in force | When Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 3 or above was in force | |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 2022 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 2023 (as at September 30) |
5 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| Total | 15 | 9 | 9 | 2 |
According to figures revealed by Cheuk, teams from the police and fire services were deployed to rescue someone from a mountain five times this year when a rainstorm warning was in place, and three times then a Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 3 or above was in force. They were also called out to help someone in the water six times between January and September while a rainstorm alert was issued.
Last year saw 11 call-outs during adverse weather, including seven mountain rescues under heavy rain and three while typhoon warnings were in force.
In 2021, there were seven such search and rescue incidents, and three in 2020.
After the Covid-19 pandemic emerged in Hong Kong in early 2020, effectively closing the city’s borders, residents took to the territory’s extensive network of hiking trails, resulting in a sharp increase in the number of adventurers requiring rescue. The trend even made international headlines, with The New York Times and Bloomberg reporting on Hongkongers’ newfound appetite for local adventures, and the fact those exploits sometimes ended badly.
Extreme weather has also been in the news recently, with the city pummelled by Super Typhoon Saola, which caused the Observatory to issue its highest storm signal in early September, followed by record-breaking rainfall a week later.
“The occurrence of extreme weather conditions in Hong Kong has become increasingly frequent,” Lam wrote in questions submitted to the legislature. “However, it has been reported that some members of the public have disregarded the Government’s warnings and engaged in outdoor activities when typhoons or rainstorms hit Hong Kong.”
In response, Cheuk said that while the government “strongly discourages the public from taking risks to perform outdoor activities under inclement weather, effective, reliable and efficient emergency services will still be provided to people in distress or in need under all circumstances.”
He continued: “When calls for various emergencies are received, the HKPF and the FSD will immediately assess the nature of each incident and deploy appropriate resources to the scene.” The Government Flying Service would be deployed if necessary, Cheuk said, adding that the public could not call to request their assistance directly.
Last month, 17-year-old Matthew Tsang was found alive in Ma On Shan Country Park after an intensive week-long search and rescue operation, with teams scouring the New Territories countryside even as adverse weather warnings were issued.
Tsang, who was reported missing on October 4, survived a T9 storm warning, the second highest, issued as Typhoon Koinu approached on October 8, and a Black rainstorm warning that was raised early the following day and remained in place for six and a half hours.
Climate experts and meteorologists have warned that the city and its residents must better prepare for extreme weather, with typhoons expected to become stronger with heavier precipitation under the effects of climate change.
“Climate change is here. Extremes will become normal… there is a need to enhance the climate resilience of our city,” former Observatory director Lam Chiu-ying told HKFP in September.
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