Hong Kong reached its highest recorded temperature ever at 36.9°C on Sunday, August 9, 2026, surpassing the previous record of 36.6°C set on August 22, 2017, before Typhoon Hato [1, 2, 3, 4]. The Hong Kong Observatory attributed the extreme heat to warm subsiding air on the periphery of Tropical Cyclone Dolphin, which made landfall the same day near Yuhuan in Zhejiang province, eastern China, with sustained winds of 94 mph (151 km/h), equivalent to a category 1 hurricane [1, 2, 4].
Some parts of Hong Kong experienced even higher temperatures, with the town of Sheung Shui recording 39.8°C, the highest since automatic weather stations were introduced [1, 3]. The Hong Kong Observatory issued a very hot weather warning, urging residents to take precautions during the heatwave [1, 5, 3]. The Observatory said, "With Tropical Cyclone Dolphin moving towards the vicinity of Zhejiang and moving inland, its outer subsiding air will persistently bring extremely hot weather to the territory today to Tuesday" [1].
The heatwave is expected to last through midweek, with temperatures in some areas possibly exceeding 37°C before a chance of showers later in the week may provide some relief [5, 2, 4]. Meanwhile, Typhoon Dolphin's approach led to mass flight cancellations and evacuations along China's eastern coast ahead of landfall [1, 3].
Scientists caution that human-driven climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events worldwide [1, 3]. Despite slight discrepancies in temperature readings reported by some sources, the consensus confirms Sunday as Hong Kong's hottest day on record [1, 2, 3, 4].
