Record heat grips Japan as Vietnam succumbs to blistering heatwave
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong public urged to avoid hiking as experts cite risks of landslides, floods
Hong Kong authorities have urged the public to avoid hiking and stay away from streams and large trees in the coming days, following recent record-breaking downpours that have heightened the risk of landslides and flash floods. The warning came after the city's second-longest black rainstorm warning, which lasted for more than 11 hours on Tuesday. Experts also cautioned on Friday that the extent of soil instability was difficult to predict and that a landslide could be as sudden and powerful as an avalanche. The city recently issued four black rainstorm warnings in eight days, breaking the record for the most black rain alerts in a single year. On Tuesday, the Observatory recorded a staggering 358.8mm (14.1 inches) of rainfall at its headquarters, the highest daily rainfall in August since records began in 1884. The torrential rain caused significant damage across the city. On Thursday night, the Highways Department reopened a lane of Bride's Pool Road, which had collapsed in a severe landslide, after nearly two days of repair work. Some facilities in Plover Cove Country Park and Pat Sin Leng Country Park were temporarily closed. Play Meanwhile, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department urged the public on Thursday and Friday to refrain from hiking in the coming days.
South China Morning Post
4 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Safety of Hong Kong's workers must be a top priority during extreme weather
Weather forecasting is not an exact science. It becomes even more difficult when decision-making is involved, as reflected in the debate over whether the government should have declared Tuesday's downpour as ' extreme conditions ' so workers did not have to go to their jobs during hazardous weather. Advertisement With the highest black signal in place for more than 11 hours, the second-longest on record, the rainstorm was indisputably one of the worst in recent years. The numerous reports of landslides, flooding, fallen trees and people trapped in lifts across the city underlined the scale of the impact. Whether it warranted a declaration of 'extreme conditions' is open to discussion. Under the revised work arrangement guidelines after Super Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018, the government will decide whether it is necessary to make a citywide 'extreme conditions' announcement when a super typhoon or other natural disasters of a substantial scale could prevent the public from resuming work or raise safety concerns for a prolonged period. Such conditions include large-scale power outages, fallen windows from high-rises leading to dangerous streetscapes, major landslides, extensive flooding and widespread serious obstruction of public transport services. So far, there has been only one such announcement, which occurred in September 2023 when a black rainstorm warning was in force for a record 16 hours. The government stopped short of suspending all work at the time and only urged employers to observe work arrangements under typhoons and adopt a sympathetic and flexible approach. Responding to public concerns on Wednesday, a spokesman said the government would consider making an 'extreme conditions' announcement based on the actual conditions and those affecting the effective resumption of work by residents, including the extent and scale of the disruption. The work arrangements under black rainstorms, typhoons No 8 or above and extreme conditions are similar. But in the case of the latter, employees are advised to stay where they are or in a safe place instead of heading to work immediately. In any case, a declaration of extreme conditions on Tuesday would have made little difference for most workers as the black rainstorm warning effectively freed most general employees from work until after 5pm. Advertisement The work arrangements under different severe weather scenarios are confusing to many people. Their non-legally binding nature leaves room for non-compliance and disputes. Given that extreme weather could strike more often, more publicity is needed to ensure bosses and workers are aware of the principles and reach agreeable arrangements in advance. Safety must always be the priority.
The Standard
a day ago
- The Standard
Third-hottest July on record wreaks climate havoc
Foreign tourists walk in the hot sun on a sidewalk near the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on August 6, 2025. Japan logged a new heat record on August 5, with the mercury hitting 41.8C, the weather office said, warning temperatures may rise further still. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP)
