Mercury to dip to 11°C as winter monsoon arrives

The Hong Kong Observatory issued a Special Weather Alert at noon on Tuesday, warning that an intense winter monsoon is gradually affecting the coast of southern China and will bring a sharp drop in temperatures across the city starting Tuesday.

According to the Observatory, local winds will turn northerly tonight, with temperatures falling appreciably. The weather is expected to turn cold on Wednesday (January 21), with persistently chilly conditions continuing into Thursday and Friday (January 22 and 23). The Observatory said skies will be mainly cloudy on both days, with limited daytime temperature recovery.

Minimum temperatures in urban areas are forecast to hover around 11 to 12 degrees Celsius, while temperatures in the New Territories will be two to three degrees lower. 

Members of the public are advised to pay attention to weather changes, keep warm, and take extra care of elderly people and those with chronic medical conditions.

The Observatory’s nine-day weather forecast shows temperatures beginning to fall from Wednesday, with the lowest temperature reaching 12 degrees. On Thursday, the minimum temperature is expected to drop further to 11 degrees, while the maximum temperature has been revised down to 15 degrees, one degree lower than earlier estimates. Temperatures on Friday are expected to edge up slightly, ranging from 12 to 16 degrees.

Conditions will be colder in the New Territories, where temperatures on Thursday are forecast to fall below 10 degrees in several districts. Ta Kwu Ling is expected to be the coldest, with temperatures dropping to as low as 5 degrees.

Looking ahead, the Observatory said the winter monsoon is expected to be gradually replaced by a fresh to strong easterly airstream from the weekend to early next week, bringing a gradual rise in temperatures along the coast of southern China. However, mornings are still expected to remain cool.

Separately, Tropical Cyclone Nokaen is forecast to move across waters east of the Philippines today and Tuesday before gradually dissipating, with no direct impact expected on Hong Kong.