Climatology, Diversity, and Variability of Quasi-Biweekly to Intraseasonal Extreme Temperature Events in Hong Kong from 1885 to 2022

In July 2023, 19 continuous days of very hot days in Hong Kong brought inconvenience to citizens and disasters to society. This long-lasting heat wave event is closely linked to the atmospheric variability on the quasi-biweekly to intraseasonal timescales. While extreme weather has aroused the attention of scientists and society, limited studies focus on quasi-biweekly to intraseasonal extreme (QBIE) weather. Thus, to address this issue, this study aims at examining the climatology and long-term variability of these QBIE events in Hong Kong. This study serves as one of the very few fundamental works that construct a century-long record of QBIE temperature events, based on in situ observation in Hong Kong, and further examines the climatology, diversity, and variability of these QBIE temperature events. A total of 382 QBIE heat waves and 510 QBIE cold surges are identified from 1885 to 2022, exhibiting various characteristics in their occurring time and seasonality. Based on ARIMA model and time series analyses, we find that while apparent interannual variability exists in QBIE heat wave and cold surge activity, short-term climate prediction of QBIE temperature events based on past patterns or common climate indices is largely unfeasible. This research provides a valuable historical reference for understanding QBIE weather in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macau Greater Bay Area and highlights the need for further studies on the predictability of QBIE weather in the future.