HONG KONG – Hong Kong saw its hottest temperature so far this year on Thursday afternoon as the city’s observatory issued the Very Hot Weather Warning for the eighth consecutive day.
The Hong Kong Observatory said temperatures reached 34.4°C at around 2 pm as a subtropical ridge brought generally sunny and fine weather to the region.
“The maximum temperature recorded at the Observatory was 34.4 degrees, the highest so far this year,” the HKO said.
Maura Wong Hung-hung, Chief Executive Officer of the Senior Citizen Home Safety Association, said the group saw a significant increase in the number of requests for assistance from the elderly and that it recorded a surge of over 20 percent in the number of elderly individuals being sent to hospitals
In Sheung Shui in the New Territories, the mercury reached 36°C, 34°C in both Ta Kwu Ling and Chek Lap Kok, and 33°C in Sha Tin.
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The observatory issued the Very Hot Weather Warning on Thursday morning and reminded members of the public to stay on alert to prevent heat stroke or other discomforts.
"The Very Hot Weather Warning has been in force for more than seven days since its issuance on June 20, and the weather in Hong Kong is persistently very hot,” Acting Assistant Director of the HKO Cheng Yuen-chung said in a press conference to remind the public to prepare for very hot weather this summer.
He noted that the temperature at the HKO on Summer Solstice last Friday reached 34°C, equaling the record high set during the Summer Solstice in 1980.
“Under the influence of the subtropical ridge, high temperatures weather will continue today and tomorrow over southern China including Hong Kong, and may reach the extremely hot level (35.0 degrees or above),” Cheng said.
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“Members of the public should pay attention to the changes in weather and take adequate protective measures against the heat," he added.
The 24-hour emergency hotline operated by the Senior Citizen Home Safety Association saw an increase of 15 percent in the number of elderly people requesting help last week, Maura Wong Hung-hung, the SCHSA’s chief executive officer, said at the same press conference.
The number of elderly people admitted to hospital after calling for help has also increased by over 20 percent during the hot weather, she added.
Wong said that the association’s Care-on-Call Service — a 24/7 emergency hotline providing location tracking, medical reminders and general assistance to elderly users — had taken calls from 40,780 people seeking support and care services between June 1 and 26, and that 2,064 elderly people had been admitted to hospital emergency rooms through the service.
Dizziness and physical pain account for most of the hospital admissions of the elderly, Wong added.
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The number of requests for assistance and hospital admissions has surged since June 13, when the city issued its first Very Hot Weather Warning this year, said Wong.
Between June 17 and 21, the association received over 1,800 requests for help per day, 15 percent higher than the average of 1,560 requests per day the week before.
Elderly people may not have expected the heat wave, and this might explain why there was a surge in requests for help, said Wong. She added that the hot weather affects the elderly in various ways. “Some elderly people told us that the heat affects their moods, and can cause irritability and stress due to higher electricity bills from turning on the air-conditioners and from sleeping poorly at night,” Wong said, adding that less socializing during hot weather can also add to senior people’s emotional problems.
Wong said that the elderly should take care if they experience symptoms such as a headache, nausea, shortness of breath and confusion. “It is necessary for them to take a rest immediately, and call the Care-On-Call Safety to seek help or medical services,” Wong said.
