This October set a new record for warmth in Hong Kong, attributed to a lingering upper-air high-pressure system over southern China that postponed the onset of cooler air from the north, according to the Observatory.
The mercury readings were the highest for the month since records began in 1884, with the period seeing the highest monthly mean temperature of 27.4 degrees Celsius (81.32 Fahrenheit) and the highest monthly mean minimum temperature of 25.6 degrees for October.
The monthly mean maximum temperature also stood at 29.9 degrees, marking the second-highest on record for the month. The highest, standing at 30.3 degrees, was logged in October 2024.
“Under the influence of an anticyclone aloft, the local weather was generally fine and very hot on the first three days of the month,” the forecaster said on Tuesday.
“The maximum temperature at the Observatory rose to 33.6 degrees on the afternoon of October 1, the highest of the month.”
The city also experienced record-breaking warm nights and exceptionally hot days, with a total of seven hot nights – including four consecutive ones starting from October 16 – and four very hot days throughout the month.
“Dominated by an anticyclone aloft, apart from a few showers, it was generally fine and very hot from October 7 to 11. The maximum temperature at the Observatory rose to 33.1 degrees on October 8, the hottest ‘cold dew’ on record,” the forecaster added.
The Observatory was referring to the 17th of 24 solar terms in the traditional Chinese forecast system, believed to signify a transition to cooler weather.
The heat extended late into the year, with a minimum temperature of 28.2 degrees on October 19, marking the latest hot night of a year on record.
Despite the presence of tropical systems, the month was also exceptionally dry, with just 31.2mm of rainfall, only about 26 per cent of the normal amount of 120.3mm.
Tropical cyclone activity, however, brought shifts in wind and temperature. The month began hot, but the approach of Typhoon Matmo in the first week brought strong winds, squally showers and violent gusts.
The combined effect of Severe Tropical Storm Fengshen and an intense northeast monsoon also triggered a sharp, abrupt cool-down on October 22, with the temperature at the Observatory dropping to a minimum of 18.2 degrees, the lowest for the month.
