The Weather of November 1998

    November 1998 was much warmer than normal. The mean temperature of 23.2 degrees and the mean minimum temperature of 21.4 degrees were the highest on record for the month, while the mean maximum temperature of 25.3 degrees was the seventh highest. Furthermore, the mean temperature from January to November this year reached 24.4 degrees, also the highest on record for the same period.

    On the other hand, the mean pressure of 1015.6 hectopascals was the fifth lowest for November. The total rainfall of 28.8 millimetres in the month was 6.3 millimetres below normal, albeit the cumulative rainfall since 1 January, 2550.9 millimetres, was 17 per cent above.

    It was mainly fine on the first day of the month. The weather turned cloudy with a few rain patches in the evening. It improved on 3 November and became fine and sunny the next day. Cloud amount increased on 5 November and light rain patches returned that evening.

    A drier airstream reached the coast of southern China on 6 November. Fine and sunny weather prevailed till 13 November although there was some haze on 9 November. Generally cloudy weather returned on 14 November, but it became fine and sunny again on 16 November. Temperatures rose to 29.1 degrees, the highest in the month, on 17 November. The weather became cloudy as a weak cold front crossed the coast of Guangdong that evening. Winds strengthened from the east but moderated the next day. The weather remained mainly cloudy for the next few days.

    A drier airstream from the north brought along fine and sunny weather on 22 November. As a result, a total of 34 cases of hill fire was reported the following day.

    Due to the formation of Tropical Storm Elvis in the South China Sea and the intensification of the winter monsoon over southeast China, winds freshened from the northeast on 24 November and became occasionally strong offshore that evening. The weather also turned cloudy the next day as the outer rainbands of Elvis affected the south China coast. It turned overcast with periods of rain on 26 November. Temperatures dropped to 19.3 degrees, the lowest in the month, that morning. Rain became more widespread on 28 November but turned less frequent towards the end of the month.

    Three tropical cyclones occurred in the South China Sea and the western North Pacific in the month.

    During the month, no aircraft was diverted due to adverse weather.