{
  "id": 300773,
  "title": "Hong Kong swelters as Tropical Cyclone Dolphin sees temperatures exceed 38°C",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/08/hong-kong-swelters-as-tropical-cyclone-dolphin-sees-temperatures",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-08T07:48:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hong Kong Free Press",
    "slug": "hong-kong-free-press",
    "url": "https://hongkongfp.com/2026/08/08/hong-kong-swelters-as-tropical-cyclone-dolphin-sees-temperatures-exceed-38c/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Hong Kong experienced scorching temperatures over 38°C on Saturday due to Tropical Cyclone Dolphin, triggering a heatwave in the city. According to the Observatory, temperatures peaked at 37°C in certain areas, with hotter weather expected to persist for a few more days. The heat is anticipated to transition to rain by Wednesday, with a southwesterly airstream affecting the Guangdong coast mid-next week. The Hong Kong Observatory has previously cautioned about the potential for record-breaking high temperatures this year and beyond, attributing it to climate change and a forecasted \"super-strong\" El Niño event. El Niño is a climatic phenomenon characterized by unusually warm sea temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, which can significantly impact global weather patterns. July 2025 saw Hong Kong's second-wettest month on record, with 20 amber and five red rainstorm warnings issued. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has highlighted a consistent rise in the frequency and intensity of heatwaves since the 1950s, largely due to human-induced climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions, a primary contributor to global warming, trap heat in the atmosphere, leading to higher surface temperatures. These prolonged, intense heatwaves pose severe risks to human health, as demonstrated by a 2023 study predicting that by the end of the century, heat and humidity could become lethal in certain regions, especially during extended periods outdoors.",
  "summary": "Temperatures exceeded 38 degrees Celsius in some parts of the city on Saturday, as Tropical Cyclone Dolphin brought a heatwave to Hong Kong. The Observatory (HKO) said on Saturday that the storm was moving towards the vicinity of Zhejiang and northern Fujian: “[I]ts outer subsiding air will persistently bring extremely hot weather to the territory […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Hong Kong swelters over 38°C due to Tropical Cyclone Dolphin",
    "Temperatures peaked at 37°C in certain areas, heatwave persists",
    "IPCC predicts lethal heatwaves by century's end"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Hong Kong Free Press",
        "title": "Hong Kong swelters as Tropical Cyclone Dolphin sees temperatures exceed 38°C",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/08/hong-kong-swelters-as-tropical-cyclone-dolphin-sees-temperatures-329373",
        "published": "2026-08-08T07:48:26.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}