Record Heat Triggers Only Yellow Heat Warning, Ex-Chief Criticizes System
HK01 · 1 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong experienced record-breaking heat on August 9, with Sheung Shui hitting 39.8°C—the highest temperature recorded by automatic weather stations since the 1980s. Despite this, the Labour Department issued only a yellow working heat warning, prompting former Observatory director Lam Chiu-ying to declare the system might as well be abolished .
Key Points
- Lam Chiu-ying criticized the Labour Department for using the Observatory's heat index, designed for indoor residents rather than outdoor workers, with solar radiation accounting for merely 5% of the calculation .
- The working heat warning system, launched in May 2023, has issued 204 yellow warnings but zero red or black warnings through August 2024 .
- The heat index formula weights natural wet-bulb temperature (humidity and wind) at 80%, dry-bulb temperature (air temperature) at 15%, and black-globe temperature (solar radiation) at just 5% .
- Lam estimated that reaching red warning criteria would require temperatures of around 40°C in Sheung Shui, calling the thresholds "divorced from reality" .
- Labour legislator Lam Chun-sing cited a survey showing 7% of cleaning workers had suffered heatstroke, urging the government to review warning thresholds and subsidize heat-stress measuring equipment .
Why It Matters
The controversy exposes a fundamental design flaw in worker protection during extreme heat events. With climate change intensifying Hong Kong's summer temperatures, a warning system that fails to trigger higher alerts during record heat leaves outdoor workers—particularly in construction, cleaning, and delivery—without mandated rest periods or work suspensions .
The controversy exposes a fundamental design flaw in worker protection during extreme heat events. With climate change intensifying Hong Kong's summer temperatures, a warning system that fails to trigger higher alerts during record heat leaves outdoor workers—particularly in construction, cleaning, and delivery—without mandated rest periods or work suspensions .