Summer storm: HK Observatory says August was cloudier and wetter than usual.

Last month was cloudier and wetter than usual, with 71% cloud cover - 5% higher than usual - and 415 millimetres of rain, 6% higher than the 391.4 mm normally recorded during the month.

However, the Hong Kong Observatory said the accumulated rainfall since the beginning of the year was 1,449.2 mm, about 15% less than the normal figure of 1,707.4 mm for the same period.

On August 23, No. 1 Standby Signal was issued with the approach of Typhoon Krovanh. As the typhoon moved across the northern part of the South China Sea heading towards Leizhou Peninsula, No. 3 Strong Wind Signal was issued on August 24.

Krovanh came closest to Hong Kong at about 340 kilometres to the southwest that evening, and its outer rainbands brought heavy showers. The weather improved after Krovanh made landfall over the coast of northern Vietnam on August 26.

Details of issuance and cancellation of various warnings/signals in the month are summarised here.

The monthly meteorological figures are tabulated here.