The Weather of January 2001

    January 2001 was warmer and wetter than usual. The mean temperature of 17.3 degrees was 1.5 degrees above normal and the ninth highest for January. The monthly total rainfall of 47.6 millimetres was more than double the normal value of 23.4 millimetres. The mean atmospheric pressure of 1017.5 hectopascals was the sixth lowest for January.

    Under the influence of the northeast monsoon, the weather in Hong Kong was mainly fine and dry on 1 January. Apart from some cloudy periods in the morning, fine weather persisted for the next two days.

    It became cloudy on 4 January. Winds freshened from the east that evening and there were patches of light rain. Clouds dispersed the next day. Fine, sunny and warm weather dominated the next couple of days but it was hazy on the afternoon of 7 January under light wind conditions.

    A cold front crossed the coast of Guangdong on the morning of 9 January. It became cloudy with northerly winds which were occasionally strong offshore that afternoon. Winds moderated the next day but it remained cloudy for the next couple of days.

    Easterly winds freshened on the morning of 12 January. There were some rain patches in the following morning but it soon became fine and sunny later in the day. The weather became cloudy again on 15 January and there was some light rain the next day.

    Under the influence of a ridge of high pressure over southern China, sunny weather prevailed for the next few days. Temperatures rose to a maximum of 23.3 degrees on 20 January, the highest in the month.

    It became cloudy on 21 January with morning mist in the harbour. Cloudy and misty weather continued in the next few days. Visibility at one time decreased to 1000 metres in Tsim Sha Tsui on 23 January.

    There were some showers on 25 January. Another cold front crossed the south China coast that evening clearing the mist. Thunderstorms and heavy showers together with strong northerly winds affected the territory on the early morning of 26 January.

    Rainy condition continued for the next few days and it became cold with temperature dropping to a minimum of 9.8 degrees on 28 January, the lowest in the month. Rain eventually eased off that evening. It remained mainly cloudy till the end of the month.

    Only one tropical cyclone occurred over the western North Pacific in the month.