What’s next after the hottest year on record?

With more than 200 days of the year breaking their respective daily temperature records,[1] 2023 has officially been confirmed to be hottest year on record so far by the World Meteorological Organization.[2] But that is not all, 2024 is poised to be one of five warmest years on record and even has a one-in-three chance of beating 2023.[3] Last month, the Hong Kong Observatory also recorded hottest day in March since 1884 when temperatures soared to a sweltering 31.5°C.[4]

An almost unbroken string of record high temperatures in the later half of 2023 (Image source: BBC)

Although scientists knew El Nino would help drive up global temperatures and intensify extreme weather events,[5]they did not predict the world would feel the effects so early—such as the wildfires that burned throughout Canada over the course of several months,[6]and the deadly flash floods that swallowed Beijing, Tianjing, and Hebei.[7] For better or worse, El Nino is a phenomena that only occurs once every two to seven years; the impacts of climate change however have long-lasting consequences.

Residents in Zhuozhou, Hebei needed to be evacuated when China was hit with the heaviest rainfall in 140 years (Image source: Andy Wong/AP)

An inter-university research between the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the University of Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology recently projected that, by 2041-2049, Hong Kong will see a 50% increase in the number of hot nights (≥28°C), particularly affecting those living and working in Sha Tin, Tuen Mun, Kowloon, the northern and southern parts of HK Island, and the airport region.[8]

But that is not all, remember the rainstorm after Typhoon Haikui? The record ‘once in 500 years’ rainfall submerged Hong Kong and left the city with the second-highest insurance claim of HK$1.54 billion in damages.[9]According to the aforementioned research, we are expected to see another with 40% more precipitation in the 2040s.

Torrential rain leaves shopping mall submerged in muddy water (Image source: Andy Chong/China Daily)

Climate change should not and cannot be treated as a problem for the future. 2023 is further evidence that we are already experiencing the consequences. Hong Kong needs to do more than just transition to a carbon-neutral economy, it has to help the community adapt to a warming and less stable climate. The city will need to carry out climate vulnerability assessments and develop contingency plans to strengthen climate resilience.

To address the vulnerability of coastal and low-lying areas that are more susceptible to flooding, this may involve adopting sponge city measures, such as wetland conservation and dual-purpose infrastructures that can double as stormwater storage. Moreover, in combating extreme heat, it is crucial to prioritise the expansion of blue and green spaces, along with the establishment of cooling shelters, and more.

Extreme weather is becoming the new normal, Hong Kong must become climate resilient if it is to protect the residents from climate change.