Hong Kong Issues Record-Breaking Very Hot Weather Warning Amid Unprecedented October Heat
Hong Kong's weather bureau issued a Very Hot Weather warning on Oct 21, the latest ever in a year, as October temperatures hit record highs.
On Wednesday, the Hong Kong Observatory activated a Very Hot Weather warning at 6:45 am, the first such alert in a year and the latest issuance on record for October. Temperatures surged to 36 °C in Yuen Long and reached 33.8 °C at the Observatory’s headquarters in Tsim Sha Tsui, breaking the previous October high of 31.5 °C recorded in 2024. Meteorologists attributed the heatwave to a weakened northeast monsoon caused by a super El Niño and the influence of Super Typhoon Champi east-northeast of Manila.
Forecasts indicate continued highs above 30 °C through next Wednesday, with a northeast monsoon surge expected to arrive tonight. Climate data show that Very Hot Days have risen from an average of 13.4 per year in the early 2000s to over 50 annually since 2020, and heat-warning hours have tripled, reflecting broader climate-change trends highlighted by the IPCC. Researchers warn that such extreme heat could become lethal by century’s end if greenhouse-gas emissions persist.
Why it matters
The record heat highlights accelerating climate risks and public-health challenges for densely populated cities.
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