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The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) and the Senior Citizen Home Safety Association (SCHSA) at a joint press conference today (December 3) reminded the public to get prepared for the cold season. The SCHSA also announced the enhancement of its free "e-See Find" mobile app to upgrade it with weather information catering for the needs of the elderly and their caregivers.
Speaking at the press conference, the Acting Assistant Director of the HKO, Mr Chan Sai-tick, said, "The winter monsoon has already brought much cooler weather to Hong Kong earlier in the week. Under the influence of an intense replenishment of the monsoon, the weather of Hong Kong is expected to become colder in the coming two days, with temperatures dropping to 12 degrees or below in the urban areas, and a couple of degrees lower in the New Territories."
He added, "Members of the public should get prepared for the impending cold weather. In particular, senior citizens and persons with chronic medical conditions should take steps to protect themselves against the potential health impact caused by low temperatures."
Provided by the SCHSA, the "e-See Find" mobile app enables family members or caregivers to obtain approximate location information of the outdoor "Safety Services" device users. With the assistance of the HKO, the SCHSA has upgraded the existing "e-See Find" app by adding real-time weather information provided by the HKO. Using the information, caregivers can take note of the changing weather conditions and provide timely care and assistance to the elderly.
Symbols of weather warnings in force, regional weather information corresponding to the location of the elderly using the outdoor "Safety Services" device, the UV index and the Air Quality Health Index provided by the Environmental Protection Department will be shown on the interface of the enhanced "e-See Find" app. Moreover, when the temperature near an elderly person's reported location gets beyond a specified range, app users will receive a special weather alert. The upgraded "e-See Find" app is expected to be released in late December.
"The number of outdoor 'Safety Services' device users has increased over the years. Under the cold weather, outdoor assistance and support become even more important to senior citizens who enjoy outdoor activities," said the Chief Executive Officer of the SCHSA, Ms Leung Shuk-yee.
"With the timely weather information and special weather tips jointly provided by the HKO and the SCHSA, the service enhancement will assist caregivers to take better care of their elderly family members amid the cold weather," she continued.
Mr Chan said the long-term collaboration between the HKO and the SCHSA has demonstrated the importance of partnership and stakeholder engagement, promoting the use of weather information for better care of the elderly, and increasing public awareness of this subject.
For the latest weather forecast and nine-day weather forecast, the public can call the Observatory's Dial-a-Weather service at 1878 200 or visit the Observatory's website at the following links:
Weather forecast: www.hko.gov.hk/wxinfo/currwx/flw.htm
Nine-day weather forecast: www.hko.gov.hk/wxinfo/currwx/fnd.htm
Ends/Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Issued at HKT 16:20
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