Hong Kong hits record 36.9C, observatory says

Hong Kong's weather observatory recorded 36.9C on Sunday, the highest temperature at its headquarters since records began in 1884, the Hong Kong Observatory said.

The meteorological service said Typhoon Dolphin swept warm air over the city as the storm approached China's east coast. The previous headquarters record was 36.6C on August 22, 2017, before Typhoon Hato hit Hong Kong.

The observatory said temperatures can vary significantly across the densely built city. Temperatures elsewhere in Hong Kong topped 39C, including 39.8C at Sheung Shui in the city's north. The Observatory said that was the highest temperature logged in Hong Kong since automatic weather stations were introduced in the 1980s.

The Observatory issued a Very Hot Weather Warning on Sunday, advising people to drink water and avoid vigorous outdoor physical activity. It said Dolphin's outer subsiding air would bring extremely hot weather to Hong Kong from Sunday to Tuesday.

Typhoon Dolphin was approaching the Chinese mainland about 1,000 kilometres northeast of Hong Kong. It had triggered more than 1,000 flight cancellations, evacuations and a top-level alert from authorities along China's east coast. It was expected to make landfall late Sunday or early Monday in Zhejiang or neighbouring Fujian.

Scientists say human-driven climate change is making extreme heat events more frequent and more intense worldwide.