Mainly because of the influence of the outer subsiding air of Severe Typhoon Dolphin , temperatures reached 37 degrees or above in many districts. In Sheung Shui, the mercury hit 39.8 degrees, the city’s highest reading since automatic weather stations were introduced in the 1980s. Chau Sze-kit, chairman of the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union, said: “The heat stress alert seems to have made a mockery of the record-breaking heat. “The requirements for triggering a higher alert are set too rigidly. There were cases when the amber warning was in force but the temperature at a site was already close to 40 degrees.”