31st May 2023 – (Hong Kong) Hong Kong Observatory issued another Very Hot Weather Warning today, urging people to take necessary precautions against the heat. The weather is expected to be extremely hot with a maximum temperature of around 35 degrees Celsius in Hong Kong, along with some haze in the morning and a few showers and isolated squally thunderstorms in the afternoon and tonight. The warning also stated that people should drink more water and seek medical advice immediately if they feel unwell.
The persistent heat is being caused by the outer subsiding air of Typhoon Mawar, which is currently moving across seas east of Taiwan and will gradually weaken as it moves towards the seas south of Japan. The typhoon’s outer subsiding air will affect the coast of southern China, triggering showers and thunderstorms due to high temperatures. A trough of low pressure is also expected to bring a few showers to the coast of Guangdong and the northern part of the South China Sea during the weekend and early next week.
At 10am, Mawar was centred about 520 kilometres east of Gaoxiong and is forecast to move north or north-northeast at about 12 kilometres per hour across seas east of Taiwan. While the typhoon is not expected to hit Hong Kong directly, its outer subsiding air will continue to affect the region, causing hot and humid weather conditions.
The Labour Department (LD) has also issued a Heat Stress atWork Warning, reminding employers and employees to take appropriate measures during the effective period of the warning to prevent heat stroke when working in hot weather or hot environments. Employees who work outdoors or in non-air-conditioned indoor environments are at a higher risk of heat stroke and should take extra precautions. Employers should assess the risk factors of heat stress for employees and take necessary preventive and control measures, such as rescheduling work periods, providing shading covers, ventilation, and heat dissipation equipment, and reminding employees to replenish water and rest in a timely manner.