The Weather of December 2001

    December 2001 was warmer and wetter than usual.  The mean temperature of 18.3 degrees was 0.7 degrees above normal. The monthly total rainfall of 44.6 millimetres was 17.3 millimetres above normal.  The annual rainfall amounted to 3 091.8 millimetres, ranking the fourth highest on record.

    Apart from some light rain in the morning of 1 December, generally fine weather prevailed during the first five days of the month.  The abundance of sunshine on 4 December brought the temperatures up to 26.2 degrees, the highest in the month.

    A cold front crossed the coast of Guangdong on 6 December and it became cloudy and cooler.  An extensive rainband associated with Tropical Storm Kajiki over the South China Sea brought periods of rain to Hong Kong from 8 to 10 December.  Rain eased off during the day on 10 December as Kajiki dissipated near the coast of Vietnam, but it remained cloudy in Hong Kong in the next few days.

    The first Cold Weather Warning of the winter was issued as another cold front crossed the south China coast on 13 December.  Winds freshened from the north, becoming strong offshore occasionally during the day.  The northeast monsoon persisted for the next couple of days.

    Some light rain patches began to affect the territory on 16 December as upper level disturbances developed over southern China.  Rain became heavy at times in the morning of 18 December.  Rain ceased on 19 December but the weather remained cloudy.

    An intense surge of the winter monsoon reached the south China coast on 20 December, bringing dry continental air to the region and clearing the clouds.  Northerly winds freshened that evening, and became strong offshore occasionally.  Winds subsided on 22 December and temperatures dropped to 8.9 degrees that morning, the lowest in the month.  It remained cold during the next couple of days. Frost was reported in Ta Kwu Ling, Fanling and Sha Tin Racecourse on 24 December.

    Under the influence of the dry winter monsoon, weather in Hong Kong remained fine for the rest of the month.

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