The Weather of May 2001

    May 2001 was warmer and drier than usual. The mean temperature of 26.7 degrees, 0.8 degrees above normal, was the tenth highest for the month. The monthly rainfall of 162.0 millimetres was only about half the normal figure. The accumulated rainfall since 1 January amounted to 410.0 millimetres, 33 per cent below the normal figure of 616.5 millimetres for the same period.

    A trough of low pressure moved across the coast of Guangdong and brought thundery showers to Hong Kong on the morning of 1 May. The weather was cloudy and misty the next day.

    A broad band of cloud covered the south China coastal areas and there were some rain patches on 3 May. Light rain continued the next day with mist.

    Clouds thinned out on 5 May and there were sunny periods. Sunny weather prevailed the next couple of days. It was hot on 8 May with temperatures rising to a maximum of 32.2 degrees, the highest in the month.

    A trough of low pressure along the coastal areas of Guangdong brought thunderstorms to Hong Kong on the evening of 8 May. Heavy rain and thunderstorms continued the next day. In strong gusts, a window pane fell from a building in Tai Po and seriously injured a man. A scaffolding collapsed in Tai Kok Tsui injuring a man, and about 50 containers fell to the ground in Kwai Chung. An aircraft approaching Hong Kong was hit by lightning when it was about 50 kilometres from the airport. A cockpit window was slightly damaged. The plane landed safely and no one was injured.

    With the dissipation of the trough, rain eased off on 10 May but the weather remained cloudy. The minimum temperature of 22.9 degrees on 11 May was the lowest in the month.

    A dry continental airstream brought fine but hazy weather on 12 May. Fine weather prevailed for the next two days.

    An area of low pressure formed over the South China Sea off Vietnam on 15 May. In the next few days, it moved northwards into Beibu Wan and then eastwards across the coastal areas. During its passage, the weather of Hong Kong was cloudy with rain and there were thunderstorms and heavy showers on 17 and 18 May.

    As the area of low pressure weakened and moved away from the coast, the weather became mainly fine on 20 May apart from isolated showers.

    With a trough of low pressure along the coastal areas of Guangdong, the weather of Hong Kong became unsettled with heavy rain and thunderstorms on 21 and 22 May.

    As the trough moved away from the coast, the weather turned mainly fine on 23 May. Mainly fine weather prevailed for the next few days apart from isolated showers on 28 and 29 May.

    A trough of low pressure over the northern part of the South China Sea brought heavy rain and thunderstorms to the territory on 30 May. The weather improved by the next day and there were sunny periods apart from some showers.

    One tropical cyclone occurred in the South China Sea and the western North Pacific in the month.