Air pollution indexes in more than 10 areas in Hong Kong reached the highest health risk levels on Monday evening, as a dusty northerly airstream brought pollutants to the city for a second day in a row.
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The government’s Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) had already reached “very high” levels in the morning, climbing to “serious” by late afternoon.
As of 6pm, 14 out of the 18 general and roadside stations had reached “serious” levels, including Central, Causeway Bay, Mong Kok, Tuen Mun, Tai Po, and North district.
The remaining stations registered “very high” levels. Conditions remained largely unchanged two hours later.
Meteorological experts said that due to the combined effect of the low-pressure system in China and cold air, strong winds blew dust and other pollutants southward, resulting in serious air pollution in Hong Kong for consecutive days.
As the northeastern monsoon carried particulate pollutants from mainland China, PM10 concentrations across multiple areas in Hong Kong began to surge from Saturday night.