HKO Calendar-Preface

Preface

In 2023, extreme high temperatures brought by climate change continued to impact every corner of the world. According to preliminary data, July 2023 marked the hottest July on earth on record. Many countries in the Northern Hemisphere were struck by heat waves. The southwestern part of the United States and northwestern part of China experienced temperatures over 50 degrees Celsius in July, while heat wave in Mexico claimed over two hundred lives. Rising global temperatures also accelerated melting of glaciers. Antarctic sea ice extents for May, June, July and August were the lowest for the corresponding months in the history of satellite data record. On the other hand, Cyclone Gabrielle in mid-February brought extreme rainfall to New Zealand, where a national emergency had been declared. In July, torrential rain brought by the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Doksuri caused widespread flooding over northern China. Hong Kong was not immune from extreme weather. We experienced the hottest summer on record from June to August. There were 15 hot nights in August, one of the highest on record for the month. Super typhoon Saola hit Hong Kong directly during 1^st to 2^nd September with hurricane force winds affecting many places and the Observatory issued Signal No.10 for the first time since Super Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018. Under the influence of the trough of low pressure associated with remnant of Haikui, the Observatory recorded 158.1 millimetres of rainfall during the hour from 11 p.m. to midnight on 7 September 2023, the highest hourly amount on record. The Black Rainstorm Warning Signal lasted for over 16 hours, the longest on record. We should stay vigilant, enhance public awareness and resilience to natural disasters to cope with the potential extreme weather arising from climate change.

The theme of the World Meteorological Day 2024 is “At the frontline of climate action”. Various impacts are happening now and will be exacerbated by the climate crisis in the foreseeable future. As a global citizen, every action from each of us in combating global warming is very important. We must all work together immediately to save energy in our daily lives, reduce the consumption of fossil fuels in order to achieve carbon neutrality as soon as possible. Are you ready to adopt greener lifestyles and take actions to combat climate change?

The photos in this calendar came from the Community Weather Observing Scheme (CWOS). While we are appreciating the wonders of nature, let’s not forget to protect our beautiful Earth together. The Observatory will continue to be a model of excellence in protecting lives and building together a better society through science.

CHAN Pak-wai
Director of the Hong Kong Observatory