Hong Kong to review warning system after record heat triggers lowest alert
Pledge follows calls to adopt international measurement that places greater weight on direct sunlight and to increase monitoring stations
Hong Kong labour authorities have pledged to review the city’s heat stress warning system, a day after the lowest-level alert for outdoor workers was issued despite record-breaking temperatures, prompting questions about the index’s effectiveness
The pledge on Monday followed calls from experts for the government to adopt an international measurement that gives greater weight to direct sunlight, and to increase the number of heat stress monitoring stations so that all districts are covered and the risks faced by outdoor workers are better reflected.
“We will review the current mechanism while maintaining our close communications with relevant departments,” Undersecretary for Labour and Welfare Ho Kai-ming said on Monday.
“The Labour Department has been working with different departments, including the Observatory, to mitigate the occupational safety risks faced by workers.”
The city reached a scorching 36.9 degrees Celsius (98.4 Fahrenheit) on Sunday, the highest temperature recorded since the Hong Kong Observatory began operating in 1884. Yet the lowest-level amber heat stress alert for outdoor workers remained in place.
The Observatory said the scorching conditions would persist in the coming days, with temperatures in some areas forecast to reach at least 37 degrees, although more frequent showers are expected later this week.