Hong Kong issues amber rainstorm warning after intense heatwave grips city
Parts of New Territories record maximum temperature of 36.7 degrees by mid-afternoon on Friday, the hottest for 2026 so far
The Hong Kong Observatory issued an amber rainstorm warning on Friday night for 1½ hours after an intense heatwave earlier gripped the city, with temperatures climbing as high as 36.7 degrees Celsius in parts of the New Territories during the day.
The amber alert, the lowest of a three-tier rainstorm warning system, was issued at 10pm and cancelled at 11.30pm. The warning means heavy rain exceeding 30mm (1.2 inches) in an hour has fallen or is expected to fall over Hong Kong.
The Observatory recorded maximum temperatures of 36.7 degrees in Sheung Shui and 36.6 degrees at Yuen Long Park at mid-afternoon. Other areas, including Tai Po, Sha Tin and Tseung Kwan O, also saw temperatures exceeding 35 degrees.
But cooler weather is expected on Saturday, with temperatures ranging between 27 and 31 degrees.
“The anticyclone aloft will weaken [on Saturday], while upper-air disturbances will bring showers and thunderstorms to Guangdong,” the forecaster said.
“An easterly airstream will affect the coast of Guangdong in the next couple of days. High-temperature weather will be alleviated.”