Hong Kong sees coolest autumn morning before warmth returns next week
Hong Kong recorded its coolest autumn morning at 17.5 degrees Celsius, though the Observatory expects temperatures to rise to 29 degrees next week. Acting senior scientific officer Lam Hok-yin attributed the brief chill to a weak northeast monsoon and warned of a wind chill effect.
Hong Kong recorded its coolest morning of the autumn season on 10 November, with the mercury dropping to 17.5 degrees Celsius, according to the Hong Kong Observatory. However, the respite from warm weather is expected to be brief, with temperatures forecast to climb back to 29 degrees Celsius next week.
The short-lived cool spell followed a cold front that moved across the Guangdong coast on the night of 9 November, bringing dry, sunny conditions and strong northerly winds under the influence of a northeast monsoon.
Speaking on a radio programme, acting senior scientific officer Lam Hok-yin attributed the temperature swings to the limited strength of cold air masses during autumn. He explained that early November falls in late autumn rather than winter, a period when the northeast monsoon over southern China is still relatively weak, typically lasting only two to three days.
Lam warned residents of a “wind chill effect” that could make them feel colder than the actual temperature on windy days, advising them to carry a jacket when heading outdoors. Regarding possible showers later in the week, he said they would be caused by an upper-air disturbance, a separate weather system from the low-level monsoon.
Looking ahead, Lam said a super El Niño event — among the strongest since 1950 — combined with global warming would likely bring Hong Kong a normal or warmer winter, with fluctuating weather conditions and more rainfall than usual. The Observatory also reported that Hong Kong experienced its warmest October since records began in 1884.