The Hong Kong Observatory said today that the city’s weather in December was warmer than usual, with a monthly mean temperature of 19.1 degrees Celsius ranking as the ninth highest on record for the month. The mean temperature was 0.9 degrees higher than the normal figure of 18.2 degrees. 

The weather was also much drier than usual, with total rainfall of 0.9 mm, about 3% of the normal figure of 28.8 mm. 

Total annual rainfall, however, stood at 2,774.5mm, about 14% more than the normal 2,431.2mm.

With the northeast monsoon over the south China coast much weaker than normal, the city was exceptionally warm in the first half of December 2023.

The temperature at the Observatory rose to a maximum of 28.7 degrees on the afternoon of December 12, the highest of the month and one of the highest maximum temperatures on record for December.

On the morning of December 16, a cold front moved across the coast of Guangdong, winds strengthened from the north and a few rain patches arrived in Hong Kong, causing the temperature to fall appreciably. 

The lowest minimum temperature recorded at the Observatory was 8.1 degrees, and came during an intense replenishment of the winter monsoon and the movement of a rainband across the coastal areas of Guangdong on the morning of December 23.

There were frost reports in Tai Po and Ta Kwu Ling on the morning of December 24. 

As the winter monsoon moderated, the local weather turned milder gradually from December 27 to 29. 

Temperatures at the Observatory rose to a maximum of 25.7 degrees on the afternoon of December 31, making it the warmest New Year's Eve on record.