Abstract
Background. The current weather warning system aims to reduce mortality from heat and cold stress but still has room to be improved in terms of incorporating other temperature metrics. The aim of this study is to determine how extreme temperature affects mortality in Hong Kong. Methods. An ecological study was used; daily weather data were subdivided into seven temperature metrics. Daily detrended mortality data were stratified by disease groups and analysed using seven different metrics for temperature. The temperature metrics were then compared. Results. A diurnal temperature range (DTR) of ≥8°C leading to an increase in median mortality of up to 16% and a mean temperature change between neighbouring days of ≥4°C leading to an increase in median mortality of up to 6% were the critical thresholds for excess mortality in Hong Kong. Conclusions. This study reveals that mean net effective temperature, DTR, and temperature change between neighbouring days are effective to predict excess mortality in Hong Kong.
Highlights
Correlation between WSI and daily mortality ere could be a relationship between low WSI and mortality rates in winter, no conclusive results are found for summer
Since relatively few studies on the effects of heat or cold stress have been conducted in Hong Kong, this paper will serve to increase the understanding of the relationship between heat/cold and population health in a subtropical urban environment
In order to determine the effects of season on mortality, this paper examines summer and winter separately: TTmax and max net effective temperature (NET) for summer, TTmin and min NET for winter, as well as diurnal temperature range (DTR) in summer and winter
Summary
Ere has been a growing interest in the impact of extreme heat and cold events on health globally. The effects on mortality of diurnal temperature range (DTR) and temperature change between neighbouring days are not well understood in the Hong Kong literature. Understanding these effects will enhance the current Hong Kong heat-health weather warning system. A large DTR relieves heat stress: it assumes a cool night happens a er a hot day. A large DTR might increase mortality during hot days, with cardiovascular diseases [9] and strokes [13]. E aim of this research is to further determine the impact of extreme temperatures on mortality in Hong Kong Speci cally, it examines how different temperature metrics. T 1: Recent studies of temperature and mortality relationship in Hong Kong
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