Hong Kong weather expert calls coldest day in May for more than 100 years ‘good sign’ amid climate change fears

Hong Kong recorded its coldest day in May for more than a century on Monday morning, according to the city’s weather forecaster, with a veteran meteorologist saying it was a “good sign” amid climate change fears.

The Observatory reported a minimum temperature of 16.4 degrees Celsius (61.5 degrees Fahrenheit) in Tsim Sha Tsui, the lowest figure for May since 1917, breaking the previous record from 2013 of 16.6 degrees.

The city’s cool weather was the result of a northeast monsoon and showers, which were caused by an upper-air disturbance, the forecaster said. The monsoon has also affected the rest of Guangdong’s shoreline.

On Friday, the Observatory issued its earliest “very hot weather” warning since the system was introduced in 2000. The signal was issued for the first time in April when the Hong Kong Wetland Park, located in the city’s northwest, recorded afternoon temperatures of 35.9 degrees.

But a leading meteorologist said there was no conclusive evidence to indicate the recent weather fluctuations were the result of climate change.

Leung Wing-mo, a former assistant director at the Observatory, explained that Hong Kong was experiencing a transition from winter to summer, leading to different seasonal monsoons affecting the current temperature.