Two young women take photos along Victoria Harbour in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong on Jan 2, 2023. (PHOTO / CHINADAILYHK.COM)
HONG KONG – Hong Kong was warmer than usual in January despite a few cold interludes, according to the Hong Kong Observatory.
The HKO said in a statement that the northeast monsoon over Guangdong was generally weaker than normal last month and the monthly mean temperature was 17.0 degrees Celsius, 0.5 degrees above the normal of 16.5 C.
“The month was also drier than usual. The monthly total rainfall was 18.2 millimetres, about 45 percent below the normal figure of 33.2 millimetres,” the statement reads.
The temperatures at the Observatory rose to a maximum of 24.7 degrees on Jan 14, the highest of the month
Under the influence of the northeast monsoon, the weather of Hong Kong was dry with sunny intervals on the first two days of the month.
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The visibility at Waglan Island once fell to around 100 meters on the morning of January 13. With sunny periods during the day, the temperatures at the Observatory rose to a maximum of 24.7 C on Jan 14, the highest of the month, the HKO said.
Another cold front moved across the coast of Guangdong on the morning of Jan 24. With winds strengthening from the north, apart from a few rain patches at first, the weather of Hong Kong became fine, dry and significantly colder on that day.
The temperatures at the Observatory fell to a minimum of 9.8 C on the morning of January 29, the lowest of the month.
It was also very dry during the day on Jan 28 and 29. Moreover, there were frost reports in Tai Po and parts of the northeastern New Territories respectively on the mornings of Jan 29 and 30, the Observatory said.
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With the northeast monsoon moderating, there were sunny periods with rising temperature on the last day of the month, it added.