Prowling snake causes scare

As crowds flood the beaches in the early summer heat, it appears that snakes also want their share of the sun.

A 1.5-meter snake came out of its burrow and sneaked into the Transport Department's Shek Yam Driving Test Centre in Kwai Chung yesterday morning, frightening the staff, who immediately called the police.

The reptile was later caught by a snake expert, who identified it as a common rat snake, a species that can be frequently found in Hong Kong.

It often climbs into catchwaters to find prey and will sometimes enter houses and farms to search for rodents.

Temperatures up to 35.7 degrees Celsius were recorded yesterday, the highest so far this year.