The Hong Kong Observatory today said January was much warmer than usual, with a monthly mean temperature of 18.1 degrees Celsius and a monthly mean minimum temperature of 16.4 degrees Celsius, both the third highest on record for January.

The mean maximum temperature was 20.4 degrees Celsius, 1.8 degrees more than the normal figure and was the fifth highest on record for the month.

January was also drier than usual, with only 4.7mm of monthly rainfall, about one-fifth of the normal figure.

The temperature soared to 24.5 degrees Celsius on January 31, the highest of the month.