The local weather station has issued this year’s first orange hot weather alert, i.e., “extremely hot” weather is expected for the next couple of days, adding that a temperature of 37.4 degrees Celsius was recorded at the Garden of Tai Tam Hill (commonly known as “Big Taipa Hill) station at noon yesterday, according to a statement by the Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG).
The statement noted that the temperature of 37.4 degrees Celsius recorded yesterday was the fifth highest single-day temperature and the second hottest recorded in July since the bureau was established in 1952.
In contrast to the previous extreme hot weather caused by the downdraft of tropical cyclones, the current heat wave is impacted by a strong subtropical high, which has spread to many parts of the world, the statement said.
The statement pointed out that from July 9, the bureau issued a yellow hot weather alert for 15 consecutive days, while the first orange hot weather alert of the year was issued at about 11 a.m. yesterday, meaning “extremely hot” weather is expected to continue in the coming days with a maximum temperature of over 36 degrees Celsius in some areas during the day. The cloudless sky and weak winds will intensify the heat, the statement added.
There is a two-level hot weather warning system in the city, in which yellow is the lowest, to warn the public of “very hot” weather.
The bureau urged outdoor workers and people going outside to avoid strenuous activities in the hot sun, and to drink plenty of water, so as to prevent heatstroke.
