The Hong Kong Observatory issued a Very Hot Weather Warning at 13:00 on 19 September as temperatures at Sha Tin and Sheung Shui tipped 34 °C with high humidity. While the alert targets the general public, it has immediate implications for government staff and service contractors operating the city’s six land checkpoints. Under the Immigration Department’s heat-stress guidelines, duty-shift rotations at Lok Ma Chau Spur Line and Shenzhen Bay Ports move to a 45-minute cycle once the warning is active. Cooling fans and mist sprayers were switched on in the coach bays by 13:15, and bottled-water stocks were doubled. Private security firms managing passenger-flow barriers are required to supply reflective vests and make electrolyte drinks available. Travellers queuing for e-Channel enrolment counters—particularly elderly Mainland visitors—experienced wait times of up to 25 minutes at noon. Border-control authorities advise business travellers to arrive with sun hats and to use parasol-covered fast-track lanes where available. Freight forwarders report no impact on clearance times so far, but field drivers are instructed to avoid extended engine idling and to keep cabs air-conditioned. The warning is expected to stay in force until early evening. Corporations with field engineers or technicians working outdoors should activate their own heat-stress protocols in line with the Labour Department’s Code of Practice, which became mandatory in April 2026. Failure to comply can attract Improvement Notices or prosecution under the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance.
Source: HKSAR Government Press Release
