HONGKONG
Climate and Weather
Climate and Weather
Climate and Weather
Although Hong Kong is at the same altitude as, say, Hawaii, it does not have a tropical climate. In the winter, which lasts from early December to March, it can be chilly because of polar winds that are then blown across the Asian continent. However, it never snows or freezes. In winter, it is often windy and cloudy. There is not much rain, but when it does rain, it often drizzles for days on end. The average annual rainfall is about 2240 mm, but there are years when only half of that falls. The number of rainy days varies from 5 to 6 in November/December to 19 to 21 in June/July. Autumn, from October to early December, is the best time of year to visit Hong Kong. It is generally dry and sunny then. Hong Kong spring lasts from late March to late May and it is already quite warm then.
Huge thunderstorms are quite common in June, making June the wettest month and the start of the summer monsoon. Summer is hot, sunny and humid, and even then it can be quite stormy and rainy. The temperature in summer can reach about 32°C. In winter, the temperature does not drop below 10°C and it is usually around 15°C.
In the summer, the Chinese Sea area is often hit by very heavy storms, here called typhoons. They often bring heavy rainfall and the wind speed can reach more than 160 km per hour. Most typhoons bypass Hong Kong, but always bring wet and windy weather. The last typhoon to hit Hong Kong was in 1937. More than 1,000 boats sank and 2,500 people died.
The average daytime temperatures are between 18 and 20°C in January/December and around 30°C from June to September.
Average night temperatures are around 13°C in January/February and around 25°C from June to September.
Sources
Bernstein, K. / Hong Kong
Kosmos-Z&K
Groth, P. / Hongkong
Deltas
Lyle, G. / Hong Kong
Chelsea House Publishers
Storey, R. / Hong Kong, Macau & Guangzhou
Lonely Planet
CIA - World Factbook
BBC - Country Profiles
Copyright: Team The World of Info