Observatory warns Hongkongers to expect record-breaking heat in 2026 as UN chief raises alarm over climate crisis

2026-03-24 - 08:43

Hong Kong is set to see abnormally high temperatures in 2026, the Observatory has said. The warning comes after residents saw the hottest winter on record, as well as a sweltering start to the week with highs of 28 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. At a Monday press briefing hosted by the Observatory’s director Chan Pak-wai, Hongkongers were warned that the city may experience record-breaking heat this year. “With the possibility of El Niño development later this year and the continued warming of the climate, the annual mean temperature in Hong Kong is expected to be above normal this year with a high chance of reaching the warmest top 10 on record,” a Monday press release said. See also: ‘A silent killer’: How Hong Kong’s elderly face deadly heat inside cramped cage homes The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) also warned on Monday that the planet’s climate is more out of balance than at any time in history, with Earth gaining much more heat energy than it can release. According to a new WMO report, the record “energy imbalance” has been caused by emissions of warming gases like carbon dioxide and has resulted in oceans warming to new heights last year, as the ice caps melt. Heat is moving into the oceanic depths, affecting circulation and locking in consequences for thousands of years. It added that levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are at their highest in at least two million years, owing to human activity such as the burning of fossil fuels. People shelter from the sun in Hong Kong on July 10, 2023. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. It said that the ocean has been absorbing about 18 times the annual human energy use each year for the past two decades, with extreme weather impacting millions and costing billions of dollars. “Planet Earth is being pushed beyond its limits. Every key climate indicator is flashing red,” UN Secretary General António Guterres said in a video response on Monday, marking World Meteorological Day. “Humanity has just endured the 11 hottest years on record. When history repeats itself 11 times, it is no longer a coincidence. It is a call to act.” 4-7 typhoons this year At the Monday press event, the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) said that rainfall this year is expected to be near normal – with 2,100 millimetres to 2,700 millimetres predicted to fall. Director Chan said residents can expect “about four to seven tropical cyclones coming within 500 kilometres of Hong Kong during the year, which is near normal.” Director of the Hong Kong Observatory Chan Pak-wai (centre) on Monday, March 23, 2026. Photo: GovHK. The city broke 20 weather records in 2025, including the hottest October and the highest average temperature for the second half of the year, according to the Observatory’s yearly review. It was the sixth hottest year since records began in 1884, with 53 “very hot days” – defined as a day when the temperature reaches 33 degrees Celsius or above – and 54 “hot nights” – when the minimum temperature does not dip below 28 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, 14 tropical cyclones battered the territory last year. See also: How extreme heat became the deadliest silent killer among world weather disasters Hong Kong has already warmed by 1.7 degrees Celsius since the Industrial Revolution, research NGO Berkeley Earth says. Heat and humidity may reach lethal levels for protracted periods by the end of the century, according to a 2023 study, making it impossible to stay outdoors in some parts of the world.