Hong Kong's Chilly Weather Bring Back 2016 Memories

Back in 2016 when there was frost on Tai Mo Shan

On Thursday Hong Kong's temperatures dropped to as low as 5.9 degrees Celsius in northern districts like Ta Kwu Ling, while Sheung Shui, right next to the border with China was at 9.1 degrees.

The Hong Kong Observatory even posted a frost warning in the morning, which was cancelled by 7.45am.

For the southern Chinese city used to sub-tropical temperatures, that's pretty cold.

People from North America would scoff at Hongkongers for wearing puffy jackets as soon as temperatures dropped under 20 degrees.

"Frost chasers" slipped on the icy road

But as someone from Canada, specifically Vancouver, the cold in Hong Kong is very different, especially when there's no insulation at home; the wet-cold weather outside sometimes felt warmer than inside and you had to wear your winter jacket inside the flat.

While some of us go to great lengths to try to keep as warm as possible, others were keen to seek out frost on Tai Mo Shan, Hong Kong's highest peak exactly 10 years ago.

Temperatures up there dropped to minus 5 degrees and some people called "frost chasers" went up the mountain to check out the icicles on sign posts and trees that looked like they were made of glass. Some people were participants in a 100K race and were not prepared for the cold let alone icy conditions.

As a result some 100 people had to be rescued by the Fire Services Department, which deployed some 300 personnel and helicopters.

There was a lot of backlash against these "frost chasers" for tying up emergency services, and hopefully they learned their lesson that frost and ice are not fun!