Hongkongers sweated through the hottest day of the year on Friday, with the Observatory (HKO) recording a maximum temperature of 34.6 degrees Celsius at its headquarters.

The mercury neared 37 degrees Celsius in the northern part of the territory.

Meanwhile, the Observatory noted 1,263 instances of cloud-to-ground lightning on Friday, and 4,859 cases of cloud-to-cloud lightning.

The city is now set to see nine days of rain, the weather service predicts.

See also: How Hong Kong’s elderly face deadly heat inside cramped cage homes

“A broad trough of low pressure will linger over the vicinity of the coast of southern China to the northern part of the South China Sea during the weekend to midweek next week,” the Observatory said.

The amber rainstorm warning was raised at 10am on Saturday as violent gusts swept into the territory, raising the risk of flooding.

See also: NGO warns hot weather can worsen air quality, urges gov’t action on pollutants and cooling measures in hot districts

Climate crisis

Friday marked the hottest “Grain in Ear” solar term ever documented. The ninth traditional solar term, known in Chinese as Mangzhong, signifies a period when awny crops like wheat are ready to harvest.

This week, environmental NGO Friends of the Earth urged the Hong Kong government to prioritise the climate crisis and strengthen its climate adaptation policies, with the city expected to endure an extremely hot summer.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that the intensity and frequency of heatwaves have continued to increase since the 1950s due to human-caused climate change. The prevalence of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide – which trap heat in the atmosphere – raises the planet’s surface temperature, with hotter, longer heatwaves putting lives at risk.

See also: How extreme heat became the deadliest silent killer among world weather disasters

Hong Kong has already warmed by 1.7 degrees Celsius since the Industrial Revolution, research NGO Berkeley Earth says. Heat and humidity may reach lethal levels for protracted periods by the end of the century, according to a 2023 study, making it impossible to stay outdoors in some parts of the world.

Hong Kong Free Press journalism has been nominated for three prestigious Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) Awards – a new record for the newspaper.

HKFP photojournalist Kyle Lam’s five shots of the Tai Po fire tragedy were nominated in the Excellence in Photography category.

In the Carlos Tejada Award for Excellence in Investigative Reporting category, HKFP’s investigation into local bookstores facing simultaneous tax audits was selected as a finalist.

And Hans Tse & Kelly Ho‘s reporting on how residents of Wang Fuk Court pondered their future a month after last November’s blaze was also shortlisted for Excellence in Feature Writing.

The finalists were selected from a competitive pool of over 700 entries across English, Chinese, and Bahasa Indonesia categories, according to a Thursday SOPA press release.

“This year’s entries once again highlight the strength and diversity of our industry, with a growing number of submissions from global, regional, and small media organizations,” the press release said. “From deeply reported investigations to innovative storytelling formats, the calibre of work continues to demonstrate the vital role journalism plays in informing and connecting our communities.”

Established in 1999, the SOPA Awards recognise editorial excellence in both new media and traditional journalism in the Asia-Pacific region. HKFP has won three prizes in previous years.

The winners will be announced on June 18 at the JW Marriott Hotel. Karen Hao – award-winning journalist and best-selling author of Empire of AI – will address the event.

HKFP’s award-winning reporting

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Hong Kong has stepped up precautions over the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, as the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the epidemic “a public health emergency of international concern.”

The WHO said on Sunday that there had been 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected deaths in the DRC as of Saturday, in addition to a handful of apparent cases in Uganda.

The outbreak was caused by the Bundibugyo virus disease, and there is currently no vaccine.

There are no confirmed cases in Hong Kong, but the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) has enacted a series of precautionary measures, according to a government press release on Sunday.

Although there are no direct flights from the affected areas, “the CHP will strengthen health screening for passengers arriving on flights from Africa at the airport… Suspected cases will be immediately referred to public hospitals for isolation and treatment.”

It will also bolster public awareness and health education efforts, and provide airlines, doctors and hospitals with updated information.

The CHP advises against visiting affected regions.

Highly lethal

Ebola is transmitted to humans through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs, or other bodily fluids of infected animals.

The virus is highly lethal and causes haemorrhagic fever, systemic inflammation, and multi-organ failure. The case fatality rates from past outbreaks range from 25 to 90 per cent, according to the WHO – the average is 50 per cent.

Meanwhile, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is preparing a large-scale response to the outbreak, the humanitarian charity said in a press release on Sunday.

“The number of cases and deaths we are seeing in such a short timeframe, combined with the spread across several health zones and now across the border, is extremely concerning,” said MSF Emergency Programme Manager Trish Newport. “In Ituri, many people already struggle to access healthcare and live with ongoing insecurity, making rapid action critical to prevent the outbreak from escalating further.”

The NGO is mobilising more teams comprising medical, logistical, and support staff experienced in responding to viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks, it said.

A deadly blaze engulfed seven residential towers at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po on November 26, 2025, killing 168 people. The names of the victims were released on June 10, 2026 by the judiciary, and are listed below as they appeared in a court document.

Hong Kong Customs seized around 31 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds in Tuen Mun on Tuesday and arrested a 33-year-old man.

The value of the suspected cannabis was estimated to be around HK$6 million, according to a government press release on Wednesday.

During Tuesday’s anti-narcotics operation, officers stopped a suspicious man and found he was carrying 20.5 kilogrammes of suspected cannabis buds in two canvas bags.

“Customs officers then escorted the man to an industrial unit in Tuen Mun for a search and found about 10.5kg of suspected cannabis buds and a batch of drug packaging paraphernalia in the unit,” the press release said.

The suspect was charged with two counts of trafficking in a dangerous drug and will appear at the Tuen Mun Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday.

Those found to have trafficked a dangerous drug face a maximum penalty of HK$5 million and life imprisonment.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is offering a HK$10,000 reward for information that may lead to the conviction of who may be responsible for the apparent mutilation and killing of a pet cat.

The cat was suspected to have died from poisoning in Hung Hom after having its tail severed, according to TVB on Sunday.

The two-year-old feline was kept at a funeral parlour on Lo Lung Hang Street in Hung Hom. The manager – who cared for the cat – called the police on Sunday after the pet returned injured. It had only been let out for a matter of minutes.

Several officers responded and are investigating whether animal abuse is involved.

“PETA is urging anyone with information about this incident to come forward to help ensure that whoever committed this attack is held accountable before more animals – or people – are harmed,” a spokesperson for the animal welfare NGO said in a Monday press release.

“Violence against animals is never an isolated issue—it is a well-documented warning sign of a broader capacity for violence that can escalate and pose serious risks to public safety,” added PETA Asia President Jason Baker. “Research consistently shows a strong link between cruelty to animals and violence toward humans. Authorities must act swiftly and send a clear message that such brutality will not be tolerated.”

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals dispatched staff to help remove the cat’s body. A preliminary examination by a vet suggested the feline’s tail had been severed with a sharp object.

Lam Hing Street in Kowloon Bay was filled with billowing smoke during the lunchtime rush hour on Wednesday, after a stove overheated at a restaurant.

Police told HKFP on Wednesday that eight people were on the premises at the time – all were evacuated, and no injuries were reported.

Smoke from a kitchen stove was thought to have spread rapidly through ventilation shafts. A dramatic clip on social media appeared to show smoke engulfing the area outside, reducing visibility.

The incident occurred at around 12.43pm at a ground-floor eatery.

A 63-year-old Ocean Park mechanical technician died after collapsing at work on Friday.

Police told HKFP that they received a report at 9:08am after the man, surnamed Luk, was found unconscious outside a staff restroom before starting his duties.

Paramedics discovered him with serious head and shoulder injuries. He was certified dead at 10:33am at Ruttonjee Hospital.

Police said that they are still investigating the case. The Labour Department arrived at the Aberdeen theme park at 11am to inspect the facility’s operational safety conditions, local media reported.

The park expressed sorrow over the staff member’s death and are supporting his family and colleagues, according to RTHK.

The Tiananmen crackdown museum in Los Angeles was broken into and vandalised over the weekend, according to its co-founder Wang Dan.

“This morning, volunteers at the June Fourth Memorial Museum discovered upon arriving at work that the museum’s main gate had been vandalized and graffitied. We have already reported it to the police,” said Wang on Twitter on Sunday.

Wang was among the student leaders during the 1989 movement.

The Tiananmen crackdown occurred on June 4, 1989, ending months of student-led demonstrations in China. It is estimated that hundreds, perhaps thousands, died when the People’s Liberation Army cracked down on protesters in Beijing.

“The perpetrator infiltrated the memorial hall and destroyed the surveillance cameras before beginning the acts of vandalism,” Wang said, adding that commemorative events would go ahead this week regardless.

Footage posted by the museum’s Twitter account appears to show historic items and information boards damaged with spray paint.

In a later tweet, Wang said that the CCTV system had been repaired, with footage handed over to the authorities. “The June Fourth Memorial Hall will never cease operations due to such acts of destruction and threats,” he said.

Museums attacked, shuttered

The June Fourth Memorial Museum in Los Angeles was opened last June by Chinese dissidents and survivors.

In April 2019, vandals struck Hong Kong’s June 4 museum.

A year after the 2020 security law was imposed in Hong Kong, a revamped museum shut down just three days after opening, with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department saying it lacked an entertainment licence.

An online museum remains largely inaccessible in Hong Kong.

For the fourth year in a row, Hong Kong’s Victoria Park – historically the site of annual candlelight vigils to remember the victims of the crackdown – will host a patriotic food carnival on June 4.

An executive for Li Ka-shing’s CK Hutchison Holdings has dismissed speculation that its supermarket chain ParknShop could merge with rival Wellcome.

Dominic Lai, CK Hutchison’s group co-managing director, was responding to a question at the company’s general meeting on Thursday, according to Indexbox.

Last month, the Financial Times reported that Jardines was in “negotiations” with CK Hutchison to acquire ParknShop and merge it with Wellcome, citing four anonymous sources familiar with the matter.

Wellcome is operated by DFI Retail, a subsidiary of Jardines.

There are about 260 branches of ParknShop across Hong Kong and Macau, and about 280 Wellcome stores, according to publicly available information from the two supermarket chains.

On Thursday, Lai reportedly praised ParknShop staff for their work amid a competitive environment.

Hong Kong police have arrested 16 people for allegedly using bogus medical certificates to fraudulently withdraw over HK$4.3 million from their retirement savings funds.

Police said on Thursday that a syndicate had forged medical certificates to allow claimants to falsely claim they were totally incapacitated or suffered from a terminal illness to withdraw their Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) contributions early.

Police Superintendent Allan Chu of the Commercial Crime Bureau said at a press conference that nine men and seven women, aged between 29 and 63, were arrested on suspicion of fraud.

Two suspects were allegedly core members of the fraud ring, while the other 14 were suspected of using the syndicate’s services.

The syndicate members never actually met with the 14 people who sought to withdraw their funds early, Chu said.

Forged medical certificates

According to police, the syndicate placed advertisements on social media purporting to offer services that were ”legal and compliant,” charging no fees on unsuccessful applications.

The individuals seeking to use the service provided the syndicate with identity documents, bank account details, and login details for the electronic MPF platform.

The syndicate used the names of real doctors on forged medical certificates – without the physicians’ knowledge – and charged a 10 to 20 per cent commission on the claims totalling some HK$4.3 million.

The amount in each fraudulent application ranged from HK$110,000 to HK$600,000, police said.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the eMPF Platform Company Ltd expressed “grave concern” over the incident and said it would fully cooperate with the police.

It also said it had strengthened the vetting process for all applications for early MPF withdrawal, “particularly those submitted on the grounds of terminal illness or total incapacity, including verifying the authenticity of each medical certificate with relevant doctors to combat fraudulent activities.”

Under the Crimes Ordinance, forging or using false documents constitutes a criminal offence and may result in a maximum penalty of imprisonment for up to 14 years.