This post examines Hong Kong’s dramatic swing from a dry spring to an exceptionally wet summer — a pattern increasingly described as climate whiplash. Drawing on recent weather events, infrastructure upgrades and nature-based responses, I explain why these rapid shifts between drought and deluge matter for urban planning, water management and long-term resilience in the city.
Impact of climate whiplash on urban life and ecosystems
The early months of the year brought unusually low rainfall across Hong Kong, with April through June markedly dry. This created visible stresses: wilting flowers, falling reservoir levels and immediate concerns for agriculture in the New Territories and Lantau.
When the rains finally returned in July and early August they did so in violent bursts — torrential downpours, landslides, flash floods and repeated black rainstorm warnings that effectively paralysed parts of the city. These rapid swings highlight how a warmer atmosphere, which holds more moisture, intensifies both drought and storm extremes.
Why these swings are becoming more severe
Climate whiplash is not merely a colourful description; it reflects a physical reality driven by rising global temperatures. A warmer atmosphere increases evaporation during dry periods and amplifies rainfall intensity when systems do form.
The result is often a long dry spell that is followed by concentrated, destructive rainfall events that overwhelm urban drainage systems. The danger is twofold: prolonged dry conditions weaken soils and vegetation, increasing runoff when heavy rain comes, and intense storms deliver rainfall rates that existing infrastructure may not be designed to handle.
Infrastructure upgrades and nature-based solutions in Hong Kong
Over the past decade Hong Kong has invested in a suite of engineering and ecological measures to reduce flood risk and improve urban resilience. These upgrades are essential, but the pace and scale of climate change mean policy and design must evolve further.
Measures, successes and remaining vulnerabilities
Recent improvements include:
These steps have tangible benefits: reduced immediate flood depth in some neighbourhoods, improved ecological corridors and greater public awareness.
Key vulnerabilities remain. Large-scale developments — notably the proposed Northern Metropolis — are planned on low-lying, flood-prone lands.
Building on these areas without substantial and forward-looking flood defenses risks locking in future damage. Furthermore, concentrated storm events can still exceed storage and conveyance capacities, producing landslides and flash floods.
Recommendations for stronger adaptation
Based on three decades of observing urban water management, I recommend a combined strategy:
Adapting to climate whiplash will require aligning engineering, ecological and planning tools.
Hong Kong’s investments to date are encouraging.
Given the increased volatility of a warming world, adaptation efforts must intensify and be implemented at the scale of both neighbourhoods and major new developments.
Here is the source article for this story: Opinion | Dry June, wet July: climate whiplash is on Hong Kong’s doorstep