Dry, sunny, warm January amid northeast monsoon: HK Observatory

Hong Kong experienced a dry and sunny January from the dominance of a dry northeast monsoon over southern China for most of the month, according to the Observatory’s monthly weather summary.

The monthly total sunshine duration in January amounted to 222.3 hours, about 52 percent above the normal of 145.8 hours, while only 4.2 millimeters of rainfall was recorded by the Observatory, about 13 percent of the normal 33.2 mm in January in previous years.

The mean relative humidity last month of 59 percent was 15 percent below the normal of 74 percent, being the third lowest on record for January, the Observatory said.

It was also slightly warmer than usual with the mean temperature of 17.1 degrees Celsius, 0.6 degrees above the normal of 16.5 degrees last month.

“The daily minimum relative humidity of nine percent at Chek Lap Kok was the second lowest on record for January since the station was established in June 1997,” said the weather watchdog.

“As the monsoon was replaced by an easterly airstream, the weather turned milder gradually on January 13 to 15, with maximum temperature rising to 22.3 degrees on the afternoon of January 15, the highest of the month,” it added.

Under the influence of the associated intense winter monsoon, it turned generally fine and very dry with cold mornings on January 27 to 28. Temperatures at the Observatory dropped to a low of 10.6 degrees Celsius on the morning of January 27, the lowest of the month. 

(Henry Siu)