Hong Kong had an exceptionally warm October, with the number of very hot days and hot nights breaking records for the month, the Hong Kong Observatory said on Tuesday.

The HKO said in a statement that the monthly mean temperature of 27.4 degrees Celsius and monthly mean minimum temperature of 25.6°C were both the highest on record for October.

“Moreover, the monthly mean maximum temperature of 29.9°C was the second highest on record,” the observatory said. “There were also in total seven hot nights including four consecutive hot nights that started from Oct 16, and four very hot days in the month, all breaking records for October.”

The HKO said last month was also much drier than usual with a total rainfall of 31.2 millimeters, only about 26 percent of the normal of 120.3 millimeters.

However, the accumulated rainfall this year up to October was 2 545.2 millimeters, about 8 percent above the normal of 2 363.1 millimeters for the same period, it added.

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Under the influence of an anticyclone aloft, local weather was generally fine and very hot on the first three days of the month. The maximum temperature at the observatory rose to 33.6°C on the afternoon of Oct 1, the highest of the month.

With the approach of tropical depression Matmo, the weather turned cloudy with a few squally showers and violent gust on Oct 4. More than 10 millimeters of rainfall were recorded over many places, and rainfall even exceeded 40 millimeters over parts of Lantau Island on Oct 5.

Although it was mainly cloudy with one or two showers at first the next day, there were sunny intervals during the day as Matmo departed.

Due to an anticyclone aloft, apart from a few showers, it was generally fine and very hot from Oct 7 to 11. The maximum temperature at the Observatory rose to 33.1°C on Oct 8, the hottest Cold Dew on record.

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Under the combined effect of tropical depression Fengshen and the intense northeast monsoon, local winds were generally strong on Oct 21, occasionally reaching gale force on high ground. The outer rainbands of Fengshen also brought cloudy weather and a few rains to the city.

It was appreciably cooler on Oct 22, with temperatures over most parts of the territory in the afternoon around 15 degrees lower than those on Oct 19. Moreover, the mercury fell to a minimum of 18.2°C at the observatory on Oct 22, the lowest of the month.