Cold snap to arrive overnight as temperatures fall to 12°C, with colder days ahead

Hong Kong will see a sharp drop in temperatures overnight as a winter monsoon begins to affect the coast of Guangdong, the Observatory said on Monday, warning that cold conditions are expected to persist over the next several days.

In a special weather alert issued at 11.40am, the Hong Kong Observatory said the monsoon will gradually influence the region later in the day, bringing colder weather overnight. The minimum temperature in urban areas is expected to fall to around 12 degrees Celsius on Tuesday morning.

The Observatory said the monsoon is likely to affect southern China for a relatively extended period, with cold conditions continuing into Wednesday and Thursday mornings. Minimum temperatures in urban areas are forecast to remain between 11 and 12 degrees, while the New Territories will be a few degrees cooler. Daytime conditions are expected to be fine and very dry, with a noticeable temperature difference between day and night.

According to the nine-day weather forecast, minimum temperatures will stay below 12 degrees for three consecutive days starting Monday. Wednesday is expected to be the coldest day, with temperatures in several New Territories districts — including Sha Tin, Tai Po, Tseung Kwan O, and Sheung Shui — dropping to between 8 and 9 degrees. Temperatures in Ta Kwu Ling could fall as low as 6 degrees.

The Observatory said that under the influence of the winter monsoon, mornings along the Guangdong coast will remain cold over the next two to three days, with sunny and very dry conditions expected. While the monsoon is forecast to moderate slightly over the weekend and into early next week, mornings will remain cool. Another surge of the winter monsoon is expected to affect southern China around the middle of next week.

Locally, weather conditions this afternoon and tonight are expected to be fine and dry, with light northerly winds strengthening in the evening as temperatures fall. Cold mornings are forecast to persist over the next few days, particularly in the New Territories, with large day-to-night temperature differences expected.