Climate of Hong Kong - The Four Seasons in Hong Kong

The Four Seasons in Hong Kong

In the winter, the weather is generally cool by local standards, with temperatures hovering between 15°C and 20°C. However, northeast winter monsoons bring frequent cold fronts which can cause the temperature to dip below 10°C, despite Hong Kong's tropical latitude and coastal location. Conversely, warm maritime airstreams also commonly raise the temperature well above 20°C. Temperatures as high as 29°C have been recorded in February. Winter starts sunny in December and becomes cloudier towards February.

Spring brings warmer and more humid weather. There is a sharp increase in rainfall around April. Spring is the cloudiest time of the year, with March and April both averaging only around 100 hours of bright sunshine.

Summer weather is hot, humid and unstable. Thunderstorms and brief showers are common, as well as sunny conditions. August has the highest average rainfall of any month. Temperatures usually exceed 30°C during the day, which, coupled with a high humidity, can result in an extreme heat index. Extreme heat indices are also caused by continuous sunshine and low breeze, usually last long around July and August, is a result in subtropical high pressure areas. This also occurs before typhoons hitting Hong Kong or nearby regions in the northeast, e.g. Taiwan or Eastern Coast of China, such outbound airstream bring even hotter weather, in addition to dirtier air. Nights are also warm with an average minimum temperature of 26°C. Hong Kong is frequently hit by typhoons in summer.

Autumn is generally considered as the most pleasant season. Temperatures are still high (20-27°C) while humidity and rainfall are considerably lower. Moreover, autumn is the sunniest season in Hong Kong, with October and November both averaging close to 200 hours of bright sunshine.

Hong Kong
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D
25 19 15 54 19 15 82 21 17 175 25 21 305 28 24 456 30 26 377 31 27 432 31 27 328 30 26 101 28 24 38 24 20 27 20 16
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Source: HKO
Imperial conversion
J F M A M J J A S O N D
1 65 58 2.1 66 59 3.2 71 63 6.9 77 69 12 83 75 18 86 79 15 89 80 17 88 80 13 86 78 4 82 75 1.5 75 68 1.1 68 61
Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches
Winter Spring Summer Autumn
Average Temperature Mild
15-23°C (59-73°F)		 Warm
23-30°C (73-86°F)		 Hot days 30-35°C (86-95°F)
Warm nights 25-30°C (77-86°F)		 Warm
23-30°C (73-86°F)
Pressure
  • High pressure over central Asia grows stronger and forms anticyclone
  • Cold front establishes
  • Anticyclone over central Asia weakens
  • Low pressure begins to establish
  • Troughs of low pressure develop over China
  • Low pressure well formed over central Asia
  • Troughs of low pressure and typhoons affect Hong Kong
  • Low pressure over central Asia weakens
  • Ridges of high pressure start to develop over central Asia
Relative Humidity Relative humidity is fairly low but it fluctuates as dry, cool air from Mainland China alternates with warm, moist air from East China Sea over Hong Kong Relative humidity begins to rise. Relative humidity is very high and could reach over 80%. Relative humidity starts to fall.
Precipitation and Condensation
  • Occasional light rains (caused by depressions passing over Mainland China).
  • Frost may appear at the higher elevations.
  • Troughs of low pressure cause mists and advection fog over Hong Kong.
  • Clouds sometimes develop and give light rainfall.
  • Heavy convection rain
  • Violent thunderstorms fairly common.
  • Typhoons sometimes pass through or nearby
  • Clouds and rainfall decrease.
  • Cloudless sky becomes more common.
Wind Dry, cool, and strong north-easterlies blow from Mainland China Warm, light southerlies occasionally alternate with cold, dry north-easterlines Warm, moist southerlies blow from the sea Winds become cooler, dries, and easterly
Summary Weather condition generally stable, but anticyclones and cold fronts bring changeable weather at times.
  • Conditions are warm and moist when the winds are southerly.
  • Occasionally bursts of cold winds bring dry, cool weather.
  • Generally, conditions become more unstable.
  • Changeable weather brought by tropical cyclones and thunderstorms.
  • Weather conditions are generally unstable.
 Conditions become more stable and pleasant.

Read more about this topic:  Climate Of Hong Kong

Famous quotes containing the word seasons:

    “Bind us in time, O seasons clear, and awe.
    O minstrel galleons of Carib fire,
    Bequeath us to no earthly shore until
    Is answered in the vortex of our grave
    The seal’s wide spindrift gaze toward paradise.”
    —Hart Crane (1899–1932)