The temperature will be a few degrees lower in the New Territories. Maximum temperature today will be 23 degrees, with the mercury rising back up to between 19 and 25 degrees tomorrow.

The temperature will be in the mid to upper 20s through the rest of the week.

The Hong Kong Observatory advised people to take precautions against strong gusty winds. Those planning water sports and operations at sea should take special care against high winds and rough sea conditions.

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Meanwhile, following the first snowfall of the season in Beijing, the capital's heating was switched on two weeks early yesterday.

Today's weather in Beijing is forecast to be sunny, with temperatures from a chilly minus 3.8 degrees to a maximum of 10 degrees.

The China Daily said yesterday the urban administration commission brought forward the November 15 date that central heating is switched on in housing and public buildings.

It came as snow fell on the capital on the earliest winter date in 22 years.

Forecasters said that it began with sleet at about 2am and was then followed by heavy snow from about 5am.

Zhang Qiang, deputy director of the Beijing modification office, said officials "enhanced" the natural snowfall in an attempt to combat drought conditions in the city.

According to Xinhua News Agency, the weather modification office launched into action from 8pm on Saturday. By 7am the following morning, it had shot 84 packages of silver iodide into the clouds above Beijing.

"Actually, we are very lucky to have snow at this time. The water in the snow will purify the air and enhance the humidity," Duan Li, the chief weather forecaster at the Beijing meteorological bureau, told Xinhua. "Beijing hasn't had rain for a long time, the snow will definitely ease the drought."

The first snow usually falls on Beijing around November 29, meteorological statistics show. The earliest snowfall in the past 60 years was on October 30, 1987.

"Due to the influence of the strong cold air from the north, this year's snow came one month earlier than usual," Duan said.