While Hong Kong enjoys an unusually warm December, the New Year is set to bring a notable drop in temperatures, as the Hong Kong Observatory predicts a cold front will reach the coastal areas of southern China on January 1.
The weather watchdog said that an easterly airstream will gradually influence the Guangdong coast on New Year’s Eve, leading to a cloudier condition over the region.
A cold front is expected to arrive later on New Year’s Day.
Under the influence of the associated winter monsoon, northerly winds will strengthen. Temperatures will fall significantly on January 2 and over the weekend, bringing a noticeable chill to the region and improved weather conditions.
According to the Observatory’s nine-day forecast, urban areas can expect minimum temperatures of 12 degrees Celsius on Friday (Jan 2) and 11 degrees Celsius on Saturday (Jan 3).
Saturday is projected to be the coldest day of the week, with many areas in the New Territories dipping below 10 degrees in the morning.
Notably, Tai Po and Sheung Shui will see temperatures around 8 degrees, while Ta Kwu Ling could plunge to as low as 5 degrees.
Winds are forecasted to be strong on Friday, reaching force 6 offshore and even up to force 7 on high ground.
The weather watchdog has noted that no Cold Weather Warnings have been issued since autumn.
If this trend continues until the end of December, it would be a historic first since the warning system began in 1999, with no alerts given in November or December.
Given the forecasted minimum temperatures of 17 and 18 degrees over the next two days, this scenario is very likely, potentially breaking a 26-year record from 1999 to 2025.
In comparison, Cold Weather Warnings were issued three times in 2020, once in 2021, three times in 2022, twice in 2023, and three times in 2024.
