Hong Kong officials have warned against thrill-seeking activities such as chasing storms and searching for big ocean waves during extreme weather, saying offenders could face jail time and a fine.
Undersecretary for Security Michael Cheuk said on Thursday authorities are considering invoking legislation that would close beaches and country parks under extreme weather. Violators could face a HK$2,000 fine and 14 days in jail.
“Do not attempt to defy nature for the sake of thrill-seeking or satisfaction, because you will not succeed,” Cheuk told reporters in Cantonese.
Cheuk added that the lives of emergency rescue officers would also be at risk if they conduct rescue operations during extreme weather: “Please do not put them in dangerous situations.”
Cheuk was referring to residents undertaking high-risk activities such as surfing during typhoons, saying some had disregarded beach officers’ warning to catch big waves.
He added that the government’s emergency rescue teams were deployed to mountainous areas, or the sea, 35 times over the three years up to last September, and that all operations were carried out after the city’s Observatory had issued severe weather warnings.
“If anything happens, it is not just costing 2,000 bucks or 14 days in prison – it can cost your life” he said. “It also endangers the lives of our emergency response officers.”
Cross-departmental briefing
Cheuk was speaking at a cross-departmental press briefing led by the city’s no. 2 official, Chief Secretary Eric Chan, to unveil the government’s preventive measures for extreme weather. It comes after a “once-in-500-years” rainstorm brought Hong Kong to a halt last September.
Chan said the Leisure and Cultural Services Department would step up public education at beaches to warn residents against high-risk activities during typhoons, in addition to prosecutions.
Separately, Chan said the Drainage Services Department and the Buildings Department had performed inspections and pre-emptive measures at spots with a high risk of landslide, flooding, and fallen trees.
The Labour Department also issued a guide for employers to devise plans for employees’ working arrangements under severe weather and extreme conditions, he added.
In the event of the hoisting of the T9 or T10 signals, the highest typhoon signals in the city, the open-door sections of the MTR lines would be suspended and trains running through such sections might stop at a major station connecting to shopping malls for safety, Chan said.
The Observatory is expected to upgrade its mobile app which will highlight its severe weather signals with “more visible” notifications and notices, according to Chan.
The government will coordinate emergency personnel and mobilise civil servants, local care teams, and district councillors to disseminate information and handle the aftermath of extreme weather events, he added.
Global warming
Hong Kong was battered by record-breaking rainfall in September last year, which caused widespread flooding and landslides as the Observatory’s highest rainstorm signal remained in place for over 16 hours.
Earlier this month, the city was hit by severe rain which prompted the Observatory to consider issuing the black rainstorm alert, the highest of the city’s three rainstorm warnings. Residents rushed home, but the black rain alert was not ultimately raised.
As the globe continues to log record heat, scholars have predicted that extreme weather events in Hong Kong will increase significantly by the 2040s, raising concerns about the city’s capacity to deal with the averse effects of such events.
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