Three hikers fall ill as Hong Kong heat reaches 33C

At least three hikers fell ill on Hong Kong countryside trails on Sunday as temperatures in parts of the city rose to about 33 degrees Celsius, according to officials and police. A 25-year-old visitor was suspected of suffering heatstroke while hiking with friends on the High Island Reservoir East Dam-Po Pin Chau route in Sai Kung at about noon. A government helicopter took him to Ruttonjee Hospital in Wan Chai for treatment.

Later, at about 1.30pm, a group on the same route sought assistance after a 57-year-old foreign man developed dizziness. Rescuers helped him down the trail, but he declined further medical treatment, according to the account provided. Earlier, police received a report at 1.01pm from a man hiking on the Plover Cove Reservoir Country Trail in Tai Po who said he felt unwell and believed he was suffering from heatstroke.

Rescue personnel later airlifted him to safety. The Hong Kong Observatory issued a very hot weather warning at 6.45am on both Saturday and Sunday. Temperatures in Sai Kung and Tai Po had reached around 33 degrees by Sunday afternoon.

The incidents occurred during a three-day Mid-Autumn Festival and weekend period that drew visitors to the Po Pin Chau route. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said an average of 2,360 people a day had booked visits to the route, while actual attendance averaged about 1,170. The department said activity was generally smooth despite the largest crowds arriving between 10am and 2pm.

It reported no serious congestion on the trail or at the Po Pin Chau viewing platform. The route is known for views of volcanic rock formations and sea stacks. The supplied material does not state the medical condition of the two hikers who were airlifted or whether either remained in hospital.