Heat Wave in Hong Kong
Heat Wave in Hong Kong (17 Jul 2003)
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The temperature in Hong Kong so far this month (July 2003) has reached a record high as a result of the long spell of fine weather. The average temperature recorded at the Hong Kong Observatory in the period 1 - 16 July was 29.9 C. This value equals the record set 20 years ago in 1983. This makes it one of the two hottest events at this time of the year since record began in 1884. The fine weather also led to high values of UV radiation intensity. The UV index on 12 July reached an extremely high value of 14.0, the highest since the introduction of the index in August 1999. With a strong ridge of high pressure dominating over southern China, fine weather has persisted in Hong Kong and neighbouring areas for over two weeks. The Very Hot Weather Warning was in force for 14 days so far this month. The total rainfall from 1 - 16 July was only 23.6 mm, the 3th lowest on record. The weather will remain hot in the next few days. The maximum temperature in the urban areas will be around 32 degrees, and a couple of degrees higher in the New Territories. Members of the public should be on the alert to the risk of heatstroke and intense UV radiation. Information on relevant precautionary measures are available in the Observatory's website. For updates on weather information, please call the Observatory's Dial-a-weather service at 187 8200 (Cantonese), 187 8202 (Putonghua) and 187 8066 (English), or browse our Internet webpages: Temperature readings: UV radiation readings: 5-day weather forecast: |