Hong Kong sees hottest May since 1884

HONG KONG - The "Very Hot Weather Warning" issued by the Hong Kong Observatory has been in force for 13 consecutive days as of Wednesday, refreshing the "longest-lasting warning" record in the history of this warning.

The maximum temperature during the day has been above 33 degrees Celsius every day since May 17.

This long spell of hot weather has made this month Hong Kong's hottest May since records began in 1884, and also refreshed the Hong Kong Observatory's record of the longest-lasting "Very Hot Weather Warning" since the warning was put into use in 2000.

"The Hong Kong Observatory is forecasting very hot weather in Hong Kong in the next couple of days. The risk of heatstroke is high," said the Hong Kong Observatory in its latest statement.

It registered on Wednesday afternoon the maximum temperature of the day at 35.4 degrees Celsius, again refreshing the record of this year.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government's Home Affairs Department opened about 15 temporary night heat shelters every day in recent weeks for people in need of the service.

The observatory forecasted Wednesday evening that the weather on Thursday would continue being "fine and very hot," with the maximum temperature during the day at around 35 degrees Celsius in the urban areas. During the weekend it was forecasted to be "mainly cloudy with a few showers."