Windy, cloudy and rainy weather is in store for Hong Kong this week as a northeast monsoon continues to linger over the Guangdong coast, coupled with a tropical cyclone now sweeping over the South China Sea. Tropical cyclone Vamco reached within 800km of the city last night and was forecast to move in the general direction of central Vietnam throughout the day and into tomorrow. Packing maximum sustained winds of about 65km/h at its centre, the storm will maintain at a distance from Hong Kong and weaken in pressure by Wednesday. But the city will still face a bit of wet and overcast weather as a result of the monsoon midweek. “In the next few days, we will see strong winds over southern China. The clouds massing in the area will grow in number and there could even be a bit of rain,” Observatory scientific officer Dr Yeung Kwok-chung said. “The weather won’t be as good as the last two days.” The Observatory issued a strong monsoon signal at 1.45am on Monday morning as winds were expected to pick up speeds exceeding 40km/h from the east. The signal remained in force till 8.45am. “If you are not well sheltered from the east, you are advised to take precautions against strong gusty winds,” the Observatory cautioned. “Conditions are particularly rough over the offshore waters.” Those planning water sports activities and operations at sea were warned to take special care over strong winds and rough sea conditions. Monsoons are large-scale wind systems caused by variances in land and sea temperatures over the seasons. Winter monsoons normally blow from the north or east, while summer systems typically blow from the southwest. Today’s weather is forecast to be mainly fine with a maximum temperature of about 30 degrees Celsius, relative humidity of below 60 per cent and fresh east to northeasterly winds. The monsoon will moderate by the end of the week.
