Hong Kong sweltered under extreme heat on Saturday as Tropical Cyclone Dolphin drove regional temperatures past 38 degrees Celsius in some parts of the city.
According to the Hong Kong Observatory, the storm tracked toward the vicinity of Zhejiang and northern Fujian. Meteorologists reported that the system’s outer subsiding air will persistently bring extremely hot weather to the territory, pushing regional mercury readings to 37 degrees Celsius or above in some areas.
Weather authorities noted that the high-temperature weather is expected to continue midweek next week. Relief is expected to arrive by Wednesday, when a southwesterly airstream is expected to affect the coast of Guangdong, bringing rain to cool the urban environment.
El Niño Forecasts and Climate Pressures
Prior to the arrival of Tropical Cyclone Dolphin, the Hong Kong Observatory warned that the city may experience record-breaking high temperatures this year and next year. Forecasters attribute this trajectory to the combined pressures of ongoing climate change and forecasts of a “super-strong” El Niño event.
El Niño operates as a natural climate phenomenon whereby sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific become abnormally warm.
The intensifying heat follows an exceptionally wet period for the financial hub. Last month ranked as Hong Kong’s second-rainiest July on record, a turbulent month punctuated by 20 amber rainstorm warnings and five red rainstorm warnings issued by regional safety monitors.
Global Scientific Assessments on Extreme Heat
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that both the frequency and intensity of heatwaves have continued to increase since the 1950s, driven primarily by human-caused climate change and greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.
Atmospheric greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere, raising the planet’s surface temperature and creating hotter, longer heatwaves that put lives at risk. Independent research organizations, including the NGO Berkeley Earth, note that Hong Kong has already warmed by 1.7 degrees Celsius since the Industrial Revolution.
Furthermore, a 2023 study suggests that heat and humidity could reach lethal levels for protracted periods by the end of the century, making it impossible to stay outdoors in some parts of the world.
City residents are advised to monitor daily bulletins issued by the Hong Kong Observatory for real-time weather updates, temperature advisories, and impending rainstorm warnings as the regional weather pattern transitions midweek.
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