Hong Kong has endured its hottest summer ever this year, with the city witnessing “record-breaking” temperatures, as declared by the government on Monday. This mirrors the global trend of rising temperatures due to climate change, with countries like India, Japan, and Australia reporting new temperature records recently.
In the semi-autonomous region of Hong Kong, officials confirmed on Monday that, “alongside the exceptionally hot weather in June and July, Hong Kong experienced the hottest summer on record from June to August 2023.”
During the past month, Hong Kong recorded an average monthly temperature of 29.7 degrees Celsius (85 degrees Fahrenheit), marking it as the hottest August on record, according to the Hong Kong Observatory. Additionally, this year saw the third-hottest July and fourth-hottest June since temperature records began in 1884.
Notably, the top three warmest years in Hong Kong’s history all occurred after 2018.
In terms of rainfall, August was “much drier than usual with a total rainfall of 140.7 millimeters (5.5 inches),” according to the Observatory. Globally, temperature records have been tumbling in recent years, as climate change leads to more volatile meteorological conditions.
Earlier in the summer, Beijing experienced a record-breaking temperature of 41.1 degrees Celsius (105.98 degrees Fahrenheit) in June. Scientists are unanimous in attributing the intensification of heatwaves to global warming, primarily driven by the reliance on fossil fuels.
Furthermore, climate change has amplified the strength of tropical storms, causing heavier rainfall and more powerful gusts, resulting in flash floods and coastal damage, as noted by experts.
Over the weekend, Hong Kong faced the impact of Super Typhoon Saola but fortunately escaped major damage.
Authorities in Hong Kong have recently underscored the importance of safeguarding workers against heat stress, although they have not yet introduced new legal protections to address this issue.
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