HONG KONG – With a stronger-than-usual subtropical ridge dominating over southern China for most of the time last month, July was exceptionally hot, according to the Hong Kong Observatory.

The monthly mean minimum temperature of 28 degrees Celsius, monthly mean temperature of 29.9 degrees and monthly mean maximum temperature of 32.4 degrees were respectively 1.1, 1 and 0.8 degrees above their normal figures, the forecaster said in its monthly weather summary on Friday.

For the month of July, the three monthly figures were respectively one of the third, the fourth and one of the ninth highest on record.

READ MORE: HK sizzles at 34.4°C as very hot weather persists for 8th day

“The daily mean temperature of 30.8 degrees and daily minimum temperature of 29.2 degrees on July 6 were both the highest on record for Moderate Heat,” said the HKO, adding that the daily maximum temperature of 34 degrees on the same day was also one of the highest on record for Moderate Heat.

With plenty of sunshine, the temperature at the HKO rose to a maximum of 34.8 degrees on the afternoon of July 7, the highest of the month. “It was extremely hot on the afternoons of 7 and 10 July with maximum temperatures reaching 35 degrees or above in many places.”

The monthly rainfall meanwhile was 458.5 millimeters, about 19 percent above the normal of 385.8 mm.

ALSO READ: April heat breaks Hong Kong’s 140-year record

“The accumulated rainfall recorded in the first seven months of the year was 1 321.9 mm, about 10 percent below the normal figure of 1 468.2 mm for the same period,” said the HKO.

Three tropical cyclones occurred over the South China Sea and the western North Pacific in July, the observatory added.