Winter is coming? Hong Kong sizzles in 30-degree temperatures on first day of winter in Chinese calendar
Chinese calendar defines onset of winter using solar positions, balmy weather notwithstanding
Winter is here, at least according to solar positions defined in the Chinese calendar that once gave ancient farmers the heads-up on the longitude the sun was at along its ecliptic path.
But temperatures for the unofficial start of the cold season yesterday were the warmest recorded for any winter commencement since 2008.
Average temperatures measured a balmy 30 degrees Celsius in Wong Tai Sin, Tsing Yi and other areas just as a moderate easterly airstream affected coastal regions of southern China.
The Observatory in Tsim Sha Tsui recorded an average of 28 degrees at 1pm.
The "commencement of winter" takes place each year around November 7 or 8 in the Gregorian calendar and is followed by "light snow" - both being solar terms in the Chinese version. The warmest one to date was 2008, when temperatures went up to 29.4 degrees.
This summer had already gone into the city's books as the hottest ever since records began, with mean temperatures between June and August reaching 29.4 degrees.