As global climate change intensifies, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, and Hong Kong is naturally not being spared from this trend. Looking back over the past 100 years, while the number of cold days has decreased, the number of hot nights with a minimum temperature of 28 C or above, as well as very hot days with a maximum temperature of 33 C or above, has been continuously rising.
Additionally, the rise in ocean temperatures has provided more heat energy for typhoons, making strong typhoons more frequent and possibly extending the typhoon season. The extreme rainfall experienced last year is likely to become a common occurrence. According to the Hong Kong Observatory, the hourly rainfall at the observatory headquarters broke records, something that used to happen once every 40 years, but in recent years, records have been repeatedly broken, which is not a good sign.
From news reports, we can see that weather-related disasters have become more extreme and frequent, posing a tangible problem for us as they can cause damage to lives, property, and public infrastructure. Therefore, it is essential to utilize the latest scientific capabilities to provide early warnings to the public as much as possible, in order to minimize the impact of extreme weather disasters. Through cooperation with meteorological bureaus from the country and surrounding regions, we can provide short- and medium-term warnings for impending disasters and extreme weather conditions in practical life. Scientifically, we can conduct long-term predictions on the potential impacts of climate change by studying and organizing data, thereby reducing the impact on the public when disasters occur through planning and other measures.
The most obvious benefit of meteorological cooperation is the provision of early warnings, allowing the public to be informed in advance about potential disasters such as flooding, typhoons or tropical cyclones, and extreme heatwaves. After the Hong Kong Observatory collects its own data and obtains data through meteorological cooperation, it can calculate “impact forecasts”. These forecasts can develop evidence-based disaster-triggering models for weather-induced short-term and medium-term disasters, informing the public about the extent of the impact; if they are affected, they must take certain actions to avoid harm. This can significantly reduce the impact on the lives and properties of the public.
In March, the Hong Kong Observatory signed an updated memorandum of understanding with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to enhance meteorological cooperation. Before that, the Hong Kong Observatory and the WMO launched a website for the Severe Weather Information Centre. This platform provides a platform for members to share and issue weather warnings, which is expected to protect residents more effectively from the impact of disastrous weather and related calamities. The author is pleased to see the Hong Kong Observatory strengthening its cooperation with the WMO, believing that Hong Kong residents will undoubtedly benefit.
In fact, Hong Kong is a small territory, and its weather is directly affected by that on the Chinese mainland. We understood this principle when learning about monsoon weather in secondary school. Therefore, the Hong Kong Observatory should strengthen its cooperation with the meteorological bodies on the mainland. The author recalls reading a news article last year in which the director of the national meteorological administration led a delegation to visit the Hong Kong Observatory to seek deeper meteorological cooperation. Both sides can collaborate on meteorological data exchange, scientific research, and personnel training. By cooperating on meteorological observation data, satellite observations, and other areas, the residents of Hong Kong and the mainland are bound to benefit directly.
The author is a specialist in radiology with a Master of Public Health from the University of Hong Kong, and is an adviser to Our Hong Kong Foundation.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
