In an era of extreme summers, it’s time to look beyond air conditioning

The Labour Department recently upgraded its Heat Stress at Work Warning system, making it easier for higher-tier alerts to be sent out, so that employers and workers, especially those who have to work outdoors, can react quickly during very hot weather.Unfortunately, the most we seem to be able to do is issue warnings and recommend passive mitigation measures such as relaxing the work schedule, resting in the shade and staying hydrated. We are sitting ducks as temperatures peak year after year.This has been a testing summer with multiple record-breaking hot days across the globe. In 2024, Hong Kong’s hottest year on record since 1884 saw 52 very hot days (33 degrees Celsius or higher) and just two extremely hot days (35 degrees or higher); the highest temperature hit that year was 35.7 degrees in September. This year, we have already seen three extremely hot days in August alone and a record high of 36.9 degrees – according to the Observatory in Tsim Sha Tsui; at the Sheung Shui weather station, the mercury hit 39.8 degrees. This is a terrifying rate of increase.