Hong Kong winter ends with only 3 days at 12 degrees Celsius or under – a record low, with this year expected to be one of the warmest ever for city
- Observatory also expects the usual number of typhoons, but will publish more wind data from stations amid wide public concern
- Warning sounded over stronger storms caused by global warming
Hong Kong saw only three days where temperatures dropped to 12 degrees Celsius or under in the last winter, a record low for the city, with four other recent weather milestones revealed by the Observatory on Thursday.
Authorities also said they expected the annual mean temperature this year to be one of the highest ever.
Last year, 11 high-temperature records were broken, including the highest average mark for the month of May at 28.3 degrees. The earliest ever hot weather warning in a year was also issued that month.
Shun Chi-ming, director of the Observatory, said it would be difficult to tell when Hong Kong might finally face a winter without any “cold days” – defined as 12 degrees or lower.
“As [global] warming persists and urbanisation continues, this will be around the corner,” he said, adding it was possible that by the end of this century, the city might end up with just one such day – or even less – each year.
Between December and last month, there were only three “cold days” for Hong Kong, marking a winter with the least number of such periods since records began in 1884. The winter before this had 21 such days.