Amidst Hong Kong’s intense summer heat, 2023 witnessed fatal heatstroke cases, highlighting the urgent need for effective occupational heat protection. The government’s “Heat Stress at Work Warning” system, derived from the Summer Heat Index, has been critiqued for its inadequate reflection of actual working conditions, constrained by a limited weather station network. This paper examines these limitations and underscores the necessity for a robust system to enhance city resilience against escalating temperatures from global warming and urban heat island effects. We developed an innovative heatstroke prevention strategy that leverages AI and IoT for precise, localised summer heat index forecasts. A proof-of-concept prototype has been developed, illustrating the feasibility of a sophisticated warning system. This approach aims to deliver accurate, real-time alerts, thereby offering a tailored protection for the workforce against the growing threat of heat-related illnesses in the face of ongoing climate changes.
