The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) and the Senior Citizen Home Safety Association (SCHSA) held a joint press conference today (December 4) to remind the public to get prepared for the coming cold weather.
      
     Speaking at the joint press conference, the Assistant Director of the HKO, Dr Cheng Cho-ming, said that a replenishment of the intense northeast monsoon is expected to reach the coast of Guangdong tomorrow (December 5). Meanwhile, a band of clouds will bring rain patches to the region. Temperatures in Hong Kong will fall significantly during the day tomorrow. Although the weather will improve in the following couple of days, it will be windy with cold mornings under the influence of the intense northeast monsoon. Members of the public, particularly the elderly and persons with chronic medical conditions, should get prepared for the cold weather to protect themselves against potential health impacts caused by low temperatures.
      
     Dr Cheng pointed out that the HKO has been continuously enhancing its online information services to provide timely weather information for the public. The relevant services have been welcomed by the public. The HKO launched a revamped website late last month to enhance the user experience for visitors including the elderly.
      
     The Chief Executive Officer of the SCHSA, Ms Maura Wong, said that the elderly are more prone to being affected by cold weather because their body temperature adjustment mechanism might have weakened. The SCHSA urges the public to show more care and provide timely assistance to elderly people in need, so that the latter may be better prepared for the coming cold weather.
      
     The HKO has been closely collaborating with the SCHSA over the years to promote the use of weather information for better care of the elderly. For instance, the HKO launched the Extended Outlook forecast service in 2017, providing probability forecasts of daily minimum and maximum temperatures for the next 14 days. The service has enabled the SCHSA to plan for resources and manpower in response to the changing weather in a timely manner. It also allows the elderly and their caregivers to get prepared for temperature changes.
      
     The public can obtain the latest weather forecast and the nine-day weather forecast by using the HKO's Dial-a-Weather service at 1878 200, or the HKO's mobile app "MyObservatory", or visiting the HKO's website at the following links:
      
     Weather forecast: www.weather.gov.hk/en/wxinfo/currwx/flw.htm
      
     Nine-day weather forecast: www.weather.gov.hk/en/wxinfo/currwx/fnd.htm  

Ends/Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Issued at HKT 16:30

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