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Hong Kong just came out of its hottest ever winter. Photo: Winson Wong

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.

This winter was the hottest on record for Hong Kong

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.

Temperatures are expected to heat up this year. Photo: Nora Tam

Other weather records broken this year so far involve the highest average winter temperature, and no “cold days” recorded in February, the last month of the season. The remaining two records comprise the highest mean maximum temperature in winter at 21.4 degrees, and the highest mean minimum temperature in winter at 17.5 degrees.

Weather officials said they expected that under global warming and the El Niño effect, the annual average temperature this year would be above the normal mark.

Shun said there was a 90 per cent chance that the average temperature this year would be among the top 10 highest in Hong Kong’s history, with an 80 per cent probability it would enter the top five.

El Niño is a climate pattern involving the warming of sea surfaces over the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, which affects atmospheric circulation and in turn, regional climates worldwide.

Philippines has Mangkhut struck off typhoon names list

The Observatory said it expected four to seven typhoons to come within 500km of the city, a number which was normal, and under the effects of El Niño, the storms could arrive in June or after.

The annual rainfall this year is expected to be between 2,300mm and 2,900mm, a range that is considered normal to above normal.

Annual rainfall this year is expected to be between 2,300mm and 2,900mm. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Shun also expressed concern over the effect of global warming on typhoons, or tropical cyclones. “Climate change could lead to warmer seawater temperature, which would strengthen a tropical cyclone. I’m a bit worried about this.”

Climate change could lead to warmer seawater temperature, which would strengthen a tropical cyclone. I’m a bit worried about this
Shun Chi-ming, Observatory director

While he said it was too early to tell if there would be another typhoon triggering the highest warning signal of No 10 this year, he pointed out that records showed the mega storms hit in three consecutive years from 1960 to 1962.

Super typhoon Hato ripped into the city in 2017, and Mangkhut pummelled coastlines and buildings last year.
Mangkhut left the city reeling from the damage, which included shattered windows in Whampoa. Photo: Felix Wong

With public concern at a high over such monster storms, the Observatory said it would start publishing more real-time data online from Thursday. This will centre on wind direction and speed readings, namely from weather stations at North Point, Central Pier and Lamma Island.

Shun said the move was to allow the public to better understand conditions at Victoria Harbour and the outlying islands.

He said during Typhoon Mangkhut, wind speeds recorded in North Point had reached hurricane levels.

Meanwhile, Edwin Lau Che-feng, executive director of environmental group Green Earth, said the government should launch more aggressive measures to lead the charge against climate change.

His suggestions included requiring existing buildings to meet certain energy-saving standards to reduce carbon emissions.

“Climate change is caused by increasing levels of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases,” Lau said.

He added that the public should also adopt a responsible attitude towards consumption as a way to reduce carbon footprints.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Record low of three ‘cold days’ in winter
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