Mercury to plunge to 13 degrees on Mon as northeast monsoon arrives

The Hong Kong Observatory warned on Sunday that the lowest temperature will drop to 13 degrees tomorrow (Feb 2) morning as the northeast monsoon affects the coast of Guangdong.

According to a nine-day weather forecast, many areas in the New Territories will see the mercury drop to 10 degrees or below, with Ta Kwu Ling's forecasted minimum temperature expected to fall to about 9 degrees.

Urban areas will generally experience temperatures of only around 11 to 12 degrees, the weather watchdog said. 

The monsoon is expected to be replaced by an easterly airstream, bringing humid conditions and progressively rising temperatures to the coast of southern China in the middle and latter parts of next week.

The temperature is expected to hover around 17 to 22 degrees next Wednesday, which falls on Lichun, the first of the 24 solar terms, representing a new beginning in the lunar calendar.

However, the northeast monsoon is expected to affect southern China again over the weekend, with the temperature dropping to around 15 degrees next Sunday.