The Weather of December 2000

    December 2000 was warmer and wetter than usual. The mean temperature of 18.9 degrees was 1.3 degrees above normal, ranking the eighth highest for December. The mean minimum temperature of 17.0 degrees was also the eighth highest for the month. The monthly total rainfall of 56.0 millimetres was more than double the normal figure of 27.3 millimetres. The annual total rainfall amounted to 2 752.3 millimetres, 24 per cent above the normal of 2 214.3 millimetres.

    Under the influence of the northeast monsoon, the weather of Hong Kong was fine and sunny on 1 December with haze over the western parts of the territory. Temperatures rose to a maximum of 25.4 degrees, the highest in the month.

    Apart from a few light rain patches in the morning, there were sunny periods on 2 December. Winds turned northerly in the evening and the weather became cloudy and cool on 3 and 4 December.

    The weather became mainly fine on 5 December although it remained cool in the morning. Mainly fine weather prevailed for the following few days except for some haze.

    A cold front crossed the coast of Guangdong on 11 December. The weather of Hong Kong became overcast with rain in strong winds. It became significantly cooler the next day. The temperature dropped to a minimum of 11.3 degrees on the morning of 13 December, the lowest in the month. Rain eased off in the evening but it remained cold the next morning.

    With the moderation of the winter monsoon, sunny periods appeared and the weather was mild for the next few days apart from some haze.

    Moist easterly winds affected the coastal areas of Guangdong on 18 and 19 December and brought some light rain patches to Hong Kong.

    Another cold front crossed the coast of Guangdong on 20 December. The weather of Hong Kong turned cloudy with light rain in the morning. It was also misty with visibility falling below 2 000 metres during the day. Winds strengthened from the north in the evening and cleared the mist. The weather became mainly fine and dry the next day. It was cold on the mornings of 22 and 23 December.

    Fine and dry weather continued the next couple of days and it turned warmer. Winds strengthened from the east on the evening of 25 December but moderated the next morning. Apart from some light rain on 27 December, the weather was fine but hazy for the next few days.

    Northerlies freshened on 30 December and brought cool and very dry weather to Hong Kong till the end of the month.

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

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