12-08-2025
- Climate
- South China Morning Post
On front line of climate change, Hong Kong must take bold steps now
I arrived in Hong Kong just four months ago, full of anticipation for a new chapter in a vibrant city. But what I didn't expect was to be greeted by a relentless series of climate extremes, each more intense than the last.
On August 5, I watched from my window as the city was engulfed by a
black rainstorm . It wasn't just heavy rain, it was historic. The Hong Kong Observatory recorded the
highest daily rainfall for August since records began in 1884. That day marked the fourth black rain warning in just eight days, setting a record for the
most top-level alerts in a single year.
As a climate scientist, I knew the numbers were extraordinary. But as a resident, I experienced flooded streets, disrupted transport and a city brought to its knees by water.
In July,
Typhoon Wipha swept through with fierce winds and torrential rain. It was the first time the No 10 warning signal, Hong Kong's highest storm warning, had been raised since
Typhoon Saola in September 2023. I remember standing in my hallway, listening to the wind howl through my house, wondering how people here have adapted to such powerful forces of nature. It was both humbling and unsettling.
Just before that, June came with its
record-breaking heatwave . On June 10, the temperature soared to 35.6 degrees Celsius, matching the highest ever recorded for that month. The heat was oppressive, the humidity suffocating. I found myself constantly checking the Observatory's updates, not just out of professional curiosity, but out of genuine concern for my own well-being and that of my colleagues and students.
These weren't just weather events, they were climate signals, loud and clear. Experiencing them first-hand has deepened my sense of urgency. Hong Kong is not just a city of skyscrapers and harbours – it's on the front line of climate change.
