As Hong Kong hits 31 Celsius, some of us are still enduring UK winter – but climate change brings earlier signs of spring

March brought unseasonably hot weather to Hong Kong; when living in the city, I enjoyed the novelty of the cooler months, knowing the heat would soon return

Last week in my UK hometown we enjoyed a rarity – a sunny day. Villagers ventured cautiously from our houses like animals emerging from hibernation

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Tourists shelter from the rain as they walk over Westminster Bridge, in London, the UK, on March 10, 2024. This winter the UK has endured relentless rain, while in Hong Kong, unseasonably warm weather saw March temperatures hit their highest ever. Photo: AFP

A journalist for more than 30 years, Cliff Buddle began his career as a court reporter in London and moved to Hong Kong in 1994 to join the SCMP.

Published: 2:15pm, 7 Apr 2024

The arrival of spring in Hong Kong saw temperatures soar, hitting 31.5 degrees Celsius (89 degrees Fahrenheit) one Sunday in March, the highest ever recorded in that month.

Not all Hongkongers would have welcomed the unseasonably hot weather. When living in the city, I enjoyed the novelty of the cooler months, knowing the familiar heat and humidity would soon return. But spare a thought for those of us who are still awaiting the end of the British winter.

This has been a relatively mild winter by British standards. We have not had much frost in the southeast of England and hardly any snow. A few days have even been hotter than in Hong Kong.

But the warmest February on record was also, for many parts of the country, the wettest. Instead of crisp, cold, sunny days we have endured relentless rain, with regular storms and floods.

Flooding in Naburn Locks near York, in northern England, following the bursting of the banks of the River Ouse after storm Jocelyn, on January 1, 2024. Photo: AFP

The warmer weather has, however, led to an early appearance of the first signs of spring. Snowdrops, daffodils and primroses shot up sooner than last year. Then came the blossom.

The magnolia tree in my garden is in full bloom and the fruit trees are beginning to flower. There is a strong sense of renewal and revival.