Hong Kong recorded a temperature of 36.9 degrees Celsius at 3:30 p.m. local time on Sunday, its highest since weather records began in 1884, according to the Hong Kong Observatory cited by China’s state media Xinhua. The record was reported as a heatwave gripped the city.
The Observatory said the unusual heat was caused by descending airflow associated with Typhoon Dolphin. The temperature reading surpassed all previous records in Hong Kong’s weather history since systematic records were first kept 142 years ago.
Intense heat may continue over the next several days, with temperatures in some areas expected to exceed 37 degrees Celsius, the Observatory said. Typhoon Dolphin made landfall in China’s eastern Zhejiang province on Sunday afternoon.