Editorial | Cold snap a reminder for Hong Kong to be better prepared
- With Hong Kong facing a sudden drop in temperatures, not only is it a time to keep warm but also to have those flu and Covid-19 jabs
A generally balmy winter can create a false sense of security and even anticipation of spring. It leaves us unprepared for a sudden cold snap – a reminder that winter has not entirely released its grip.
A case in point is a cold-weather warning issued by the Hong Kong Observatory before dawn yesterday, shattering the seasonal illusion.
In the Observatory’s terms, “an intense winter monsoon is bringing appreciably cooler weather to the coastal areas of Guangdong”.
Translated into its forecast for Hong Kong, today will be “very cold” – as low as seven degrees Celsius in urban areas and even two degrees lower in the New Territories.
The mercury is not expected to begin rising again until Thursday. By then vulnerable people, such as the elderly in particular and very young, and those with compromised immunity or underlying illnesses will have been exposed to greater risk of complications.
It is not too late to be mindful of the sudden danger, to be prepared with supplementary warmth and protection from chills, especially in care homes for the elderly.
