Week 10: Extreme Weather

 Hong Kong has a long summer that lasts from June to September. During this time, it is hot, humid, and rainy, with heavy showers and thunderstorms. The summer is significantly hotter than the rest of the year, with temperatures reaching 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Hong Kong is affected by the urban heat island making the summers more hot and humid. 

The actual extreme weather in Hong Kong is its thunderstorms that bring heavy rain. On average, there are 5 thunderstorms per month during the summer. The thunderstorms are severe but are more often than not short-lived.

 

To alert people, the Hong Kong observatory issues thunderstorm warnings. These are short-term warnings to notify people of the likelihood of thunderstorms that affect any part of Hong Kong. When issued, the warning is broadcasted over television and radio, including the observatory's website. These warnings stay active until the thunderstorm is over.

Sources:

https://www.climatestotravel.com/climate/hong-kong

https://www.hko.gov.hk/en/wservice/warning/thunder.htm

Week 8: Mass Wasting Hazards in Hong Kong

 Hong Kong is a very wet country due to tropical storms that bring heavy rainfall. This, coupled with Hong Kong's rapid urban development on hilly terrains, has led to widespread occurrences of devastating landslides. 

The rainfall is very high but seasonal, averaging 2000 mm (78.7 in) in the wet season from May to October. The precipitation occurs in heavy downpours that last several days. As a result, the rainfall fully saturates the soil several times throughout the season, and when the soil is fully saturated, the strength is significantly lower. This increases the chance for a mass movement. 

Focusing on 1972 in Hong Kong, they faced a series of landslides, the worst in Hong Kong's history. This year, Hong Kong faced two deadly landslides that occurred on the same day, claiming 138 lives. The landslides in Hong Kong are rarely slow; they occur almost instantaneously, making them very dangerous. This tragedy, however, led Hong Kong to be more proactive at mitigating landslides, their most dangerous threat.

After the 1970s, Hong Kong's government set up the Landslip Preventative Measures (LPM) program to deal with slopes that could result in landslides. The program essentially observes slopes that could be potential threats, and they gain more info on an identified slope by continually following it. If needed, LPM designs and constructs an upgraded incline that lessens the chance of a landslide. This system works very effectively for Hong Kong as future landslides were less common and had fewer deaths. 

 

An image of one of the twin landslides from 1972

Sources:

http://www.geog.com.cn/EN/10.11821/xb1997S1013

https://qjegh.lyellcollection.org/content/8/1/31

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/c3d76d90cd474bf58b4a4c1464aa1dbe