"Severe Cold" Hits Hong Kong

According to the Hong Kong Observatory, we're in for some severe cold weather this weekend, which goes to prove that when it comes to weather, it's all relative.


Today's high was around 18 degrees -- that's about 63° for those of you in the States -- with an expected low of 15° tonight, or about 59 degrees Fahrenheit. And while Fat Choy completely agrees that it's cold right now (she spent an hour camped out on top of the oven while Shelly baked an apple pie this morning), it's also big enough news to be in the paper. And to be fair, I did close the windows for a couple of days last week, when the temperature dropped to 11°C/51°F.

"More than 250 elderly people have been admitted to hospital during the cold snap," writes the South China Morning Post, "with a local frost warning being issued for two days running. ... Frost was seen on vegetation before dawn yesterday [January 8] but farmers said their crop had not been damaged although vegetables have been growing more slowly in the cold weather."

It's also been good for some restaurants in the city, says the Post: "She Wong Yee in Causeway Bay, specialising in snake soup, renowned for keeping the body warm, saw its business rise 30 per cent to 40 per cent at the weekend, a staff member said."

Now if I really want to make our chilly feline happy, I should start looking for some "Friskies Snake Soup Style Cat Food" in the markets tomorrow...