May was a tough month for operators of Tin Yeah, a community-supported agricultural programme in Hong Kong, and the farms that work with it.

With days-long downpours, two of the five local farms in the scheme, which directly connects growers and consumers, were forced to suspend production for as much as 10 days, running up losses in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Due to the unexpectedly cloudy weather, their summer harvest, including watermelons, cucumbers and string beans, is likely to be delayed. Meanwhile, the farms have had to replant aubergines while pests devoured all the leafy greens at one site. Sizzling heat at one point followed by plunging temperatures also added to their woes.