Hong Kong’s weather observatory reported that last month was the hottest April on record since meteorological records began in 1884.
“Last month’s average temperature of 26.4 degrees Celsius in Hong Kong made it the warmest April since records began 140 years ago”, the observatory noted.
It went on to say, “Summer is not yet here but April was already record-breakingly hot”.
According to observatory data, the subtropical Chinese city has seen excessive heat in recent years, with dozens of high-temperature records, including daily and monthly highs, set annually since 2019.
On April 27, Hong Kong set new daily temperature records, including the highest daily average of 28.8, and the highest daily low of 27.7.
In contrast, from 1991 and 2020, the average daily temperature in April ranged between 21.1 and 25.6 degrees.
This year’s record-warm April followed an exceptionally warm winter from December to February, as well as a much warmer than usual March, with the observatory predicting above-normal temperatures throughout 2024.
Hong Kong’s labor department upgraded its three-tier warning system for heat stress at work on Wednesday, linking it to the observatory’s hot weather alerts and extending the minimum duration of a heat advisory from 30 minutes to one hour.
The system requires break periods or work suspensions based on temperature and the nature of work.
Despite stories of people dying from heatstroke while working in the scorching summer heat, Hong Kong’s rules do not recognize it as a work-related injury.
Last year, the labor department implemented a heat stress warning system. Critics claimed it used an extremely high bar for issuing warnings and could not hold non-complying employers legally accountable.
Globally, scientists warn that extreme heat will become more common and intense as a result of human-caused climate change.
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