WEATHER | Yesterday recorded as the hottest August day in 58 years

Typhoon Soudelor not only brought Taiwan and Fujian province torrential and destructive rain over the weekend, yesterday it also broke Macau’s record for the highest temperature of the year.
According to the Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau, the highest temperature recorded by the meteorological station on the Taipa Grande over the past two days was 36.6 degrees Celsius and 36.4 degrees Celsius respectively, with the former topping the highest in a single day for August since 1957.
The scorching heat came to Macau under the influence of the tropical cyclone’s outer subsiding airflow, which even pushed the temperatures in the peninsula and Coloane to 38.2 degrees Celsius and 37.3 degrees Celsius respectively.
Likewise, the neighboring SAR region also suffered from similar warm weather, with people perspiring in temperatures of up to 37.8 degrees Celsius yesterday – the highest temperature recorded in 130 years.
However, the Health Bureau said that public hospital authorities have received no cases of heatstroke requiring medical treatment, while at least three seniors in Hong Kong are reported to have been admitted to hospital, allegedly due to the extreme heat.
The observatory said that the air quality index is to improve this week after having been recorded as ‘bad’ over the past few days, when the entire city was shrouded in heavy smog.
Local meteorologists have predicted that it will be rainy throughout the week with temperatures ranging from 26 to 32 degrees Celsius and occasional rainstorms. The weather authorities issued a storm warning at seven o’clock last night.
The strongest tropical storm so far this year, which reached the Chinese southeastern province on Saturday night, delayed more than 30 flights on Friday and Saturday.
Since Friday the government has also opened the IIha Verde cooling center to the public to help residents cope with the searing weather. Furthermore, the health authorities warned people to avoid venturing outdoors during the heat. Staff reporter