Hong Kong sees record for hottest day in September broken twice

Hong Kong recorded 35.4 degrees Celsius (95.7 Fahrenheit), the hottest September day since recording began in 1884.

A man sharpens scissors by a street in Hong Kong's Hung Hom area on on September 11, 2022 [Bertha Wang/AFP]
A man (left) shaded from the sun by an umbrella sharpens scissors in Hong Kong's Hung Hom area on September 11, 2022 [Bertha Wang/AFP]

Hong Kong has broken two heat records for September in a little over a week, the city’s weather observatory has said, as the Asian financial hub swelters through one of its hottest summers.

The Hong Kong Observatory said a temperature of 35.4 degrees Celsius (95.7 Fahrenheit) was recorded on Tuesday afternoon, “once again breaking the record for highest temperature in September” since the city started keeping records in 1884.

The previous hottest September day of 35.3C (95.5F) was set just last Monday, toppling a record that had stood since 1963.

The observatory website on Tuesday carried a “prolonged heat alert” and advised the public to “drink sufficient water. If feeling unwell, take rest or seek help immediately. If needed, seek medical advice as soon as possible”.

“Due to dry air from mainland (China), we expect the weather to be sunny and hot from this week to early next week,” the observatory added.

Southern China last month recorded its longest continuous period of high temperatures since records began more than 60 years ago. The high temperature and drought conditions led to power cuts and water shortages that have hit the country’s agricultural and manufacturing sectors.

Experts have said the intensity, scope and duration of the heatwave in southern China could make it one of the most severe recorded, with temperatures routinely hitting up to 40C (104F) in many provinces last month.

The high temperatures in mainland China have since lowered.

Intensely humid Hong Kong with a population of some 7.6 million people has experienced less scorching heat than the Chinese mainland but the city has still sizzled through an intense summer.

July was the city’s hottest month on record while the average temperature from June to August was 29.2C (84.5F), making it the fourth-hottest summer so far.

The high temperatures have been especially punishing for the 220,000 poorest residents of the city who live in cramped rooftop huts or tiny subdivided apartments and “cage homes” that often have limited or no air conditioning.

Source: AFP, Al Jazeera