Winter is coming ... back.Another cold snap is set to hit the region midweek next week, with temperatures plummeting to as low as 10 degrees Celsius next Friday, according to the Hong Kong Observatory’s latest forecast.
After a stretch of warm weather in recent days, temperatures will plunge from 17 to 22 degrees next Tuesday to 10 to 13 degrees next Friday, the Observatory said on its website.
Li Sun-wai, senior scientific officer at the Observatory, explained that temperatures over the region would fall appreciably beginning next Wednesday because “an intense northeast monsoon is expected to reach southern China midweek next week”.
Meanwhile, Commerce and Economic Development Secretary Gregory So Kam-leung revealed in the Legislative Council session on Wednesday that in the future and when necessary, the Observatory would include more specific information and wording in its cold weather warnings, such as wind chill effect, slippery icy roads, and so on, to better explain the actual impact of very cold weather to the public.
“The Observatory will also provide more detailed information on regional temperatures. Starting from early March, the Observatory will release the temperatures at Tai Mo Shan and Tate’s Cairn, so as to provide the public with more timely information on temperatures,” he added.
In addition, the Observatory will strengthen public education and communication to enable the public to better understand and prepare for the impact of climate change and extreme weather, So said.
On the coming chilly spell, the Observatory’s senior scientific officer Li said: “A temperature of 10 degrees would be around the 40th coldest temperature since records began in 1885. The coldest temperature recorded in March was 4.8 degrees on March 1, 1986.”
Hong Kong’s average March temperatures hover between 17 and 21 degrees.
Li also reminded members of the public to wear enough clothing to stay warm.
In January, the city shivered through its coldest day in 59 years as an intense cold front engulfed the region. Temperatures dropped to as low as 3.3 degrees at the Observatory in Tsim Sha Tsui, while on high ground temperatures dropped several degrees below freezing.