Heat and humidity prompted the Hong Kong Observatory to keep a Very Hot Weather Warning in force on Saturday.

The observatory said it was forecasting very hot weather in the southern Chinese territory and that "the risk of heatstroke is high." It advised local residents to take measures to avoid prolonged exposure under the sunlight and drink plenty of water.

More than 600 senior citizens pressed the alarm to seek help by early afternoon and 46 of them were forced to seek medical help at local hospitals. Most of them complained of headache or dizziness, said the Senior Citizen Home Safety Association.

The Hong Kong Observatory typically issues the Very Hot Weather Warning when the peak temperature during the day hits 33 degrees Celsius or above, with the humidity and other factors taken into consideration as well.

Weather forecasts by the observatory showed the peak temperature might be 33 degrees Celsius on Saturday but would remain below that throughout the next week as tropical storms were expected to bring clouds and rain to Hong Kong.

(Xinhua News Agency August 8, 2009)