Hong Kong saw hottest summer on record in 2023

HONG KONG - Hong Kong experienced its hottest summer on record this year, with the city seeing "record-breaking" temperatures, the government said Monday, the latest region to experience the impact of a warming planet.

Climate change has fueled searing temperatures across the globe already this year, with India, Japan and Australia last week announcing recent temperature records toppled.

In the semi-autonomous Chinese region of Hong Kong, officials declared on Monday that "together with the exceptionally hot weather in June and July, Hong Kong experienced the hottest summer on record from June to August 2023".

The city recorded a monthly mean temperature of 29.7 degrees Celsius (85 degrees Fahrenheit) last month, the hottest August on record, according to the Hong Kong Observatory.

This year also saw the third-hottest July and fourth-hottest June since records began in 1884.

The top three warmest years in Hong Kong's history were all recorded after 2018.

August was also "much drier than usual with a total rainfall of 140.7 millimeters (5.5 inches)," the Observatory added.

Worldwide, temperature records have tumbled in recent years, as climate change makes meteorological conditions more volatile.

Early in the summer, Beijing logged a record 41.1 degrees Celsius (105.98 Fahrenheit) temperature on a June day.

Scientists insist that global warming -- linked to dependence on fossil fuels -- is behind the intensification of heatwaves.

Climate change has also increased the intensity of tropical storms, with more rain and stronger gusts leading to flash floods and coastal damage, experts say.

Hong Kong was hit over the weekend by Super Typhoon Saola but dodged major damage.

Hong Kong authorities have recently emphasized the need to protect workers from heat stress, but stopped short of enacting new legal safeguards. — Agence France-Presse