Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun on Tuesday said authorities would try and release an improved Heat Stress at Work Warning system before the end of this month.

The three-tiered system came under public and expert criticism after remaining at its lowest amber level during a record-breaking heat wave this month, even when an all-time high of 36.9 degrees Celsius was recorded at the Observatory's headquarters in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Asked about the progress of the review, Sun said experts from the Labour Department and the Observatory have been in close discussions.

“There are several focus areas: one is to review the parameters to see if there is room for optimisation to make the system more suitable for use in Hong Kong," he said.

“We are examining the trigger thresholds, under what conditions an alert should escalate from amber to red.

"The thresholds are under review. Our goal is to complete this work as soon as possible so that any necessary adjustments can be implemented promptly and put into practice.”

Sun added that any updates to the system must be capable of adapting to the growing climate change challenges facing Hong Kong.


Edited by Tony Sabine