Global warming is causing Hong Kong winters to get warmer

Experts say future winters in Hong Kong will have fewer cooler days. This is because global warming is pushing temperatures higher.

“We are also going to see more hot and very hot days, simply because of global warming,” said Leung Wing-mo, a spokesman for the Hong Kong Meteorological Society.

Leung explained that global warming would create warmer summers and winters in Hong Kong. There would also be more extreme weather, such as the black rainstorm last September.

The Hong Kong Observatory said it expected this winter to have fewer cold days than past years did. Cold days are when temperatures drop below 12 degrees Celsius.

Last winter, Hong Kong had 13 cold days.

The city ended 2023 with the warmest New Year’s Eve since records began in 1884. The temperature on December 31 was 25.7 degrees.

Lam Chiu-ying used to be a director at the Observatory. He said in the future, the city would continue to experience week-long periods of colder weather. But the average temperature would keep getting warmer.

He explained that Hong Kong summers would also see more days that get very hot, which is when they reach 35 degrees.

Quiz time

1. Why will Hong Kong have fewer cooler days in the coming winters?

2. How will global warming affect the city’s summers?

3. When was the record set for the hottest New Year’s Eve in Hong Kong?

4. According to the Hong Kong Observatory, what is defined as a “cold day”?

5. Do experts think the city will still experience colder weather in future winters?

Hong Kong is likely to see fewer cold days in future winters. Photo: Jelly Tse

Suggested answers

1. because global warming is pushing temperatures higher

2. The city’s summers will become hotter.

3. The record for the hottest New Year’s Eve in Hong Kong was set on December 31, 2023.

4. A cold day is when the temperature drops below 12 degrees Celsius.

5. yes