A puppy-shaped cloud has enthralled social media users in Hong Kong, as the city’s Observatory has warned of the risks of heat stroke after days of hot spells. Photo: SCMPHong Kong social media users have been captivated by a puppy-shaped cloud. The Observatory has capitalised on the trending post to caution residents to keep cool in the scorching weather.
The weather forecaster said on Facebook on Monday that the phenomenon was called a “fine weather cumulus cloud”, which was more common in the summer months.
“[This phenomenon] is usually seen in the summer, and with the sunset afterglow, the cloud looks like a hot doggy,” the meteorological body said.
“Cumulus clouds belong to the family of low clouds,” it added, referring to an altitude between the ground and 2,000 metres.
The Observatory said the picture was taken in Tsuen Wan last Thursday, the day before the city recorded the hottest day of the year on Friday.
The post had drawn about 1,100 reactions within three hours.
In the comments section, some internet users jokingly asked the weather forecaster to help lower the temperatures by several degrees.
Hong Kong saw hottest summer on record in 2023
“It’s very hot today. Could you please consider lowering the temperature to 30 degrees? Thank you very much,” one user said.
Another user asked about the possibility of taking legal action against an employer if the office air conditioning was cut, putting colleagues at risk of heatstroke and heat exhaustion. But no reply was given.
An Observatory spokesman appealed to the public to be careful of heatstroke and use sun protection during outdoor activities.
“When walking your dog, you should also pay attention to their physical condition and be careful of heatstroke,” he said.
According to the nine-day weather forecast, a broad trough of low pressure will bring showers and thunderstorms to the coast of Guangdong on Tuesday.
The highest temperature will stay at 33 degrees Celsius, with the lowest being 28 degrees.
The low-pressure trough will give way to a subtropical ridge that brings fine and very hot over the coast of southern China later in the week.