Hong Kong is set to experience a drop in temperatures next week after the city endured its warmest October since record-keeping began in 1884.
The Observatory said the average maximum temperature last month reached 30.5 degrees Celsius, while the monthly mean and average minimum temperatures were 27.6 and 25.8 degrees, respectively. All three figures were record highs for October.
Meteorologists attributed the unusually warm weather to a combination of global climate change, the effects of an active El Niño, a weaker-than-normal northeast monsoon, and a persistent high-pressure system over southern China.
Cooler conditions are expected later this week, when a fresh to strong northeast monsoon reaches the Guangdong coast. The Observatory forecast breezy weather and a few light showers around midweek, followed by a surge of dry air.
It also raised its wind forecast for Saturday (Nov 7), predicting easterly winds of force 4 to 5, occasionally reaching force 6 offshore and force 7 on high ground.
Temperatures are forecast to begin falling next Monday (Nov 9), with the urban minimum dropping to 23 degrees. They are expected to fall further to 22 degrees on Tuesday (Nov 10). Parts of the New Territories, including Tseung Kwan O, Ta Kwu Ling and Shek Kong, could see temperatures dip below 20 degrees, to around 19 degrees.
