Hong Kong vows to revamp ‘inadequate’ heat stress warning system by month’s end

Hong Kong authorities are moving to revamp the city's heat stress warning system by the end of this month, acknowledging its shortcomings during a recent record-breaking heatwave. Former Observatory chiefs had criticized the existing mechanism as "decorative" for failing to issue more severe alerts despite extreme temperatures.

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Regarding the system thresholds, we need in-depth discussions with the relevant experts, especially those from the Observatory, to clearly define how the system will be triggered.

Chris Sun, Secretary for Labour and Welfare, stated that the government will investigate ways to better tailor the warning system to Hong Kong's specific weather conditions. He indicated that the thresholds for the current three-tier color-coded system are subject to review. "Regarding the system thresholds, we need in-depth discussions with the relevant experts, especially those from the Observatory, to clearly define how the system will be triggered," Sun said in Cantonese. He added that the goal is to complete the adjustments and implement them as soon as possible within the month.

Sam Hui, Commissioner for Labour, previously expressed that his department had "a lot of questions" when the Observatory recorded soaring temperatures, including a high of 36.9 degrees Celsius at its Tsim Sha Tsui headquarters on August 9. The existing system, introduced in 2023, uses the Hong Kong Heat Index, which considers air temperature, humidity, wind speed, and solar radiation. A reading of 30 on the index triggers an amber warning, while red or black warnings require indices of 32 and 34, respectively. However, neither the red nor black warnings have ever been activated.

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Our goal is to complete the work as soon as possible, make adjustments where possible, and put them into use.

Furthermore, the index is not binding for employers, meaning the Labour Department's Heat Stress at Work Warning system has not mandated work stoppages, even when red or black alerts are recommended for workers with heavy physical workloads. Sun expressed confidence that the review process, led by Hui, will incorporate societal concerns and the impacts of climate change, building on past operational experience.

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My department had a lot of questions when the Observatory recorded soaring temperatures earlier this month.