Hongkongers enjoy warmest first day of Lunar New Year in 11 years
Happy Valley, Kowloon City and Sha Tin top out at 27 degrees Celsius
Hongkongers can expect to enjoy a balmy Lunar New Year holiday, after temperatures on Friday soared to 24.8 degrees Celsius – the hottest first day of the annual Chinese holiday in 11 years.
It was even warmer in some areas, with districts such as Happy Valley, Kowloon City and Sha Tin recording temperatures topping out at 27 degrees Celsius.
At 6pm on Friday, the air temperature was 23 degrees Celsius with a relative humidity of 64 per cent.
Since official records began in 1947, Friday was the second-hottest first day of the Lunar New Year. The highest temperature was 25.3 degrees Celsius, tallied on February 18, 2007.
A maritime airstream was affecting the coastal areas of neighbouring Guangdong province, according to the Observatory.
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Cloudy skies were expected over the next few days and stronger winds on the second and third days of the Lunar New Year, the weather authority added.
Temperatures are forecast to range between 17 and 22 degrees Celsius over the next five days, before dipping to as low as 14 degrees Celsius on Thursday.
