27 March 2024
By Cherrie Lee
The Hong Kong Observatory has reported a record-breaking high temperature of 31.5 degrees Celsius on Sunday, marking the hottest March since 1884. The temperature also reached 31 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.
Temperatures remain around the range of 23-29 degrees Celsius with a slight drop expected on Wednesday. The Observatory explained that abnormal hot weather is being brought to the coast of Guangdong by a southerly airstream, which is expected to continue into next week.
“I think it is hotter than previous years, but it is still bearable compared to June and July,” said Gilbert Leung, a Hong Konger seeking relief from the heat on a Tuesday afternoon. “The weather has been changing frequently. It was cold in early March but it suddenly turned hot within a week. I believe the weather will continue to get hotter in the future due to global warming.”
Hong Kong is experiencing abnormal weather and temperature rise due to global warming. The rising temperatures in Hong Kong are consistent with the global trend of increasing heat waves. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Annual Climate Report, the temperature of land and ocean has risen 0.06 degrees Celsius per decade since 1850. The rate of temperature rise has more than tripled to 0.2 degrees Celsius per decade. In 2023, it recorded the second-hottest year and the hottest summer. These extreme weather events and the rise in abnormal temperature serve as a wake-up call for the international community to take action on climate change.
Data from the Hong Kong Observatory reveals that the annual mean temperatures has risen rapidly from 1885 to 2023. The rate of temperature increase has also accelerated, with a rise of 0.14 degree Celsius per decade during the period of 1885-2003, and a steeper increase 0.3 degree Celsius per decade from 1994-2023. It is projected that the annual mean temperature rise by approximately 3.3 to 4.9 degree Celsius in the period of 2081-2100.
Kylie Cheng, a Teaching Assistant and Master’s research student of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said global warming is the primary driver of the increase in temperature in these few days. An abnormal subtropical high-pressure belt in the Pacific Ocean is causing a southerly airstream, resulting in high temperature and hot weather in Hong Kong.
She also emphasized the connection between global warming and current weather conditions in Hong Kong. “It is important to acknowledge that temperature variations occur in cycles and not every year will be exceptionally hot. However, the frequency of abnormal temperatures and extreme weather events is expected to rise due to climate change. The long-term trend of rising global temperatures significantly increases the likelihood and intensity of such events,” said Cheng.
Reported by Cherrie Lee
Edited by Alvin Heung and Katie Tse