Macao’s observatory will run a new alert service for hot and cold weather starting on 28 December, with the aim of “reducing the impact of extremely high temperature or low-temperature weather on residents”.
The Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG) made the announcement in a statement on Thursday.
“With the intensifying global climate change, hot or cold weather can adversely affect human health easily, senior citizens, small children, pregnant women and chronically-ill patients in particular,” the statement said, adding that the bureau will launch the new alert service “ to enable residents to prepare their self-protection measures in advance for high or low temperatures”.
“The alert service for hot and cold weathers is formulated after taking into account the degree, duration and frequency of hot and cold weather in Macao,” the statement said.
The hot weather alert comprises a yellow alert and an orange alert. The bureau will issue a yellow alert if it forecasts that Macao’s weather will be hot, while an orange alert will be issued if it forecasts that Macao will be hit by very hot weather – i.e. an occurrence of an extremely high temperature, the statement said.
The cold weather alert also comprises yellow and orange alerts. The bureau will issue a yellow alert if it predicts that Macao’s weather will be cold, while an orange alert will be issued if it predicts that the city will be hit by a very cold weather – i.e. an occurrence of an extremely low temperature, the statement said.
The statement did not specify the level of temperatures that will activate a hot weather or a cold weather alert. The Hong Kong Observatory launched its system for cold and very hot weather warnings in 1999, according to which a cold weather warning is issued if the temperature is or is forecast to be 12 degrees Celsius or below, while a very hot weather warning is issued if the temperature is or is predicted to be at least 33 degrees Celsius.
(The Macau Post Daily/Macao News)
Photo by Macau Photo Agency
