Hong Kong has endured a relentlessly wet July with only a handful of sunny days, and local forecasters warn that the rainy spell is set to linger for several more days.
By Thursday, the Hong Kong Observatory had already issued four Red Rainstorm Warning Signals and 18 Yellow Rainstorm Warning Signals over the course of the month.
Meteorologists expect a broad trough of low pressure to persist along the southern coast of China and the northern part of the South China Sea, bringing heavy showers and squally thunderstorms to the region through early next week.
Heavy weekend rain precedes potential cyclone
According to the local nine-day weather forecast, rainy conditions will continue through next week.
The heaviest downpours are anticipated over the weekend, with both Saturday and next Sunday (Aug 2) seeing widespread showers, squally thunderstorms, and periods of particularly heavy rain.
The wet weather will start to ease slightly next Monday (Aug 3) and Tuesday (Aug 4), though skies will remain mostly cloudy with occasional showers and thunderstorms.
By next Wednesday (Aug 5) and Thursday (Aug 6), residents can expect brief periods of sunshine punctuated by only a few lingering showers.
AI models predict divided storm tracks
In addition to the immediate rainfall, weather experts are closely monitoring an area of low pressure east of the Philippines that is expected to develop further as it moves toward Luzon.
The artificial intelligence forecasting model Fengwu suggests that a tropical cyclone could form around next week, with one model run predicting it will develop in the South China Sea around August 5 (Wed) before moving northwest and coming closest to Hong Kong around August 9 (Sun).
However, meteorologists emphasize that these long-range model projections remain highly uncertain and are subject to change.
Typhoon Dolphin's outer currents bring heat
Despite the threat of unstable weather, relief from the damp conditions is on the horizon.
The Hong Kong Observatory notes that the outer subsiding air currents of another tropical cyclone—Typhoon Dolphin, which is currently tracking toward the East China Sea and Japan—are expected to bring extremely hot weather to the southeastern coast of China.
According to the extended forecast, skies will clear up significantly starting next Friday, pushing daytime temperatures up to a scorching 33 degrees Celsius.
This shift will finally bring a long-awaited return to bright, sunny, and hot summer conditions across the territory.
