The Weather of March 2000

    March 2000 was warmer and drier than usual. The mean temperature and the mean minimum temperature were both 0.7 degrees above normal. The monthly rainfall of 40.9 millimetres was 39 per cent less than normal. However, the accumulated rainfall in the first three months of the year amounted to 138.8 millimetres, very close to the normal figure of 138.3 millimetres for the same period.

    The month started cold and rainy with winds from the north. The minimum temperature of 11.0 degrees recorded on the morning of 1 March was the lowest in the month. Rain eased off the next afternoon as the northerlies moderated and temperatures rose to around 17 degrees.

    A humid easterly airstream brought coastal mist patches on the morning of 3 March. Weather was mild with periods of sunshine during the day. It turned sunny and warm on 4 and 5 March although there was some mist or haze in the morning. Afternoon temperatures rose to around 27 degrees over parts of the New Territories.

    Cloudy conditions returned on the evening of 5 March as Hong Kong came under the influence of a relatively moist easterly airstream. Visibility within the harbour fell to 1 500 metres in mist overnight. With brief periods of sunshine only, it was cooler the next day.

    A replenishment of the northeast monsoon reached the coastal areas of Guangdong on 7 March. Clouds dissipated in the afternoon and there were sunny periods. Mist or haze was again reported the next morning. Northeasterly winds then freshened and it turned cooler despite sunny periods in the afternoon. This lasted for a couple of days.

    As a trough of low pressure approached from the north, rain started to affect Hong Kong on the evening of 10 March. Rainy and cool weather continued until 14 March.

    A maritime airstream brought warm weather to the south China coastal areas on 15 March. Locally, it became mainly fine apart from some mist patches in the morning.

    A cold front crossed the south China coast on the morning of 16 March. The weather turned overcast with rain in Hong Kong. The associated northeast monsoon also brought cooler weather.

    A ridge of high pressure over southeastern China brought fresh easterly winds to the territory on 17 March. The weather remained cloudy with light rain for a couple of days. As the ridge of high pressure weakened, easterly winds moderated. There were some fog and drizzle on the morning of 19 March. Visibility in the western part of the territory dropped to 700 metres.

    Winds were strong and from the east on the morning of 20 March. They moderated in the afternoon and there were sunny periods. The weather became generally fine and warm for the next few days apart from some morning mist.

    Another cold front crossed the south China coast on the evening of 23 March, bringing northerly winds as well as cloudy and cooler weather the next day. A dry continental airstream dominated the coastal region on 25 March and sunny weather prevailed. A hill fire broke out in Tai Po burning down an abandoned hut. With light winds and abundant sunshine, the weather was warm and hazy during the next few days. Temperatures rose to a maximum of 27.7 degrees on 28 March, the highest in the month.

    Strong easterly winds again affected the south China coast on 29 March, clearing the haze. They moderated that night and the weather turned cloudy. It remained cloudy with sunny intervals till the end of the month.

    No tropical cyclone 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.