Tourists enjoy the sunset at the West Kowloon Art Park with the Hong Kong Island skyline in the background on Dec 26, 2023. (SHAMIM ASHRAF / CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG – Hong Kong was drier and warmer than usual in December 2023, with the city’s weather being “exceptionally warm” in the first half of the month, the Hong Kong Observatory said on Wednesday.

The observatory said in a statement that the monthly mean temperature of 19.1 degrees Celsius last month was 0.9 C above the normal figure of 18.2 C and one of the ninth highest on record for December.

“While Hong Kong was affected by an intense winter monsoon in the second half of the month, December was overall still warmer than usual in Hong Kong,” the observatory said.

The temperatures at the observatory rose to a maximum of 25.7 C on the afternoon of Dec 31, making it the warmest New Year's Eve on record

ALSO READ: HK experiences a much warmer, exceptionally wet autumn

It said the month was also much drier than usual with a total rainfall of 0.9 millimeters, which was only about three percent of the normal figure of 28.8 millimeters.  

The annual total rainfall of 2 774.5mm was about 14 percent above the annual normal of 2,431.2mm, the observatory added.

Affected by the northeast monsoon, and apart from a few light rain patches, the weather in the territory was mainly cloudy and dry with sunny intervals during the first four days of the month.

With abundant sunshine, the temperature at the observatory rose to a maximum of 28.7 C on the afternoon of Dec 12, the highest of the month and one of the highest maximum temperatures on record for December.

ALSO READ: HK endures longest streak of sweltering nights in 138 years

Meanwhile, a cold front formed in the Chinese mainland and moved across the coast of Guangdong on the morning of Dec 16.

Affected by an intense replenishment of the winter monsoon, it was mainly cloudy and cold in the territory from Dec 20 to 23.

With a rainband moving across the coastal areas of Guangdong, there were a few rain patches in the city on the morning of Dec 23. The temperature at the observatory dropped to a minimum of 8.1 C that morning, the lowest of the month.

It was also cold on the mornings of Dec 24 and 25 and there were frost reports in Tai Po and Ta Kwu Ling on the morning of Dec 24.

READ MORE: Temperatures top 37 degrees in parts of Hong Kong

As the winter monsoon moderated, apart from a few light rain patches, local weather turned milder gradually with sunny periods during the day from Dec 27 to 29. 

The temperatures at the observatory rose to a maximum of 25.7 C on the afternoon of Dec 31, making it the warmest New Year's Eve on record.