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The Weather of February 2002

    February 2002 was warmer and sunnier than usual. The mean temperature of 18.2 degrees was 2.3 degrees above normal and ranked the fifth highest. The total duration of bright sunshine was 145.8 hours, nearly 50 per cent above the normal figure of 97.7 hours.  Only 4.6 millimetres of rainfall were recorded during the month, amounting to less than 10 per cent of the normal figure of 48.0 millimetres.

    A cold front crossed the south China coast in the morning of 1 February, bringing cold and rainy weather to Hong Kong.  Temperatures dropped further on 2 February to 10.1 degrees, the lowest in the month.  Rain ceased that afternoon but the weather remained cloudy.  Winds freshened from the northeast on 3 February and subsided gradually in the next two days.   Some light rain affected the territory between 5 and 7 February.  It was misty on 9 February and the visibility dropped to 1000 metres in the harbour at one time.
    Another cold front crossed the coastal region of Guangdong in the morning of 10 February, clearing the mist over Hong Kong.  Under the influence of a continental airstream, the weather became fine and dry on 12 February.  Apart from some cloudy interludes, mainly fine weather prevailed in the next 11 days.

    Cooler weather set in with the arrival of a surge of the northeast monsoon on 18 February.  Winds were fresh and occasionally strong offshore in the afternoon on 20 February.

    The weather became cloudy with a few light rain patches on 24 February.  Sunny periods developed again later the next day and it turned fine on 26 February.

    There were a few isolated showers on 27 February. Long sunny periods the next day raised the temperature to 24.5 degrees, the highest recorded during the month.

    Mitag was the only tropical cyclone which occurred in the western North Pacific in the month.

    Details of issuance and cancellation of various warnings/signals in the month are summarized in Tables 1.1 to 1.3.  Monthly meteorological figures and departures from normal for February are tabulated in Table 2.


 

Warnings and Signals issued in February 2002


Table 1.1   Strong Monsoon Signal

Beginning Time Ending Time
Day/Month HKT Day/Month HKT
18 / 2 1145 20 / 2 1145

 

Table 1.2   Fire Danger Warnings

Colour Beginning Time Ending Time
Day/Month HKT Day/Month HKT
Yellow 3 / 2 0000 3 / 2 1800
Yellow 10 / 2 0600 14 / 2 1800
Yellow 17 / 2 0600 18 / 2 0600
Yellow 24 / 2 0830 24 / 2 1800

 

Table 1.3   Cold Weather Warning

Beginning Time Ending Time
Day/Month HKT Day/Month HKT
1 / 2 1630 3 / 2 0730

Table 2   Figures and Departures from Normal - February 2002

Meteorological Element Figure of the Month Departure from Normal
Mean Daily Maximum Air Temperature 20.0 degrees C 1.4 degrees above normal
Mean Air Temperature 18.2 degrees C 2.3 degrees above normal
Mean Daily Minimum Air Temperature 16.6 degrees C 2.7 degrees above normal
Mean Dew Point Temperature 14.1 degrees C 2.3 degrees above normal
Mean Relative Humidity 77 % 1 % below normal
Mean Cloud Amount 63 % 10 % below normal
Total Rainfall 4.6 mm 43.4 mm below normal
Total Bright Sunshine Duration 145.8 hours 48.1 hours above normal
Mean Daily Global Solar Radiation 12.37 Megajoule / square metre 1.68 Megajoule above normal
Total Evaporation 73.6 mm 5.4 mm below normal

 
Remarks : All measurements were made at the Hong Kong Observatory except sunshine, solar radiation and evaporation which were recorded at King's Park Meteorological Station.

 
daily values of selected meteorological elements in HK for February 2002

Extract of Meteorological Observations in Hong Kong for February 2002