Hong Kong experienced its coldest February in 40 years, with a monthly mean temperature of 13.3 degrees Celsius, three degrees below average. The month's rainfall was 27.5mm, 47 per cent below average. The cold spell, which started on January 24 under the influence of an intense northeast monsoon, lasted 24 days until February 16, a government spokesman said. It was the longest in 40 years. The lowest temperature was 7.9 degrees on February 3.