The Weather of November 2004

    With no intense northeast monsoon in the month, November 2004 was much warmer than usual. The mean daily minimum temperature of 21.1 degrees was the third highest for November. Rain in November 2004 was also scarce. The monthly rainfall of 0.4 millimetres was the eighth lowest for November. The total rainfall since 1 January amounted to 1738.6 millimetres, 21 percent below the normal of 2187.0 millimetres for the same period.

    The weather was fine with plenty of sunshine on the first eight days of November 2004. There was also some haze on 1 November under light wind conditions. It turned cloudy with some drizzle on 9 November when a cloud band swept across China. Sunny weather returned the next day and lasted till 12 November.

    As a fresh to strong easterly airstream established itself over South China, the local weather turned cloudy with light rain patches on 13 November. It was mainly cloudy with sunny periods on 14 November. A cold front crossed the south China coast on 15 November and it became cooler in the next several days with the minimum temperature falling below 20 degrees in the urban areas for the first time this autumn. The dry northeast monsoon behind the cold front cleared the sky on 17 November. Fine and dry weather prevailed through 22 November.

    It was overcast with rain patches on 23 and 24 November. The weather remained cloudy on 25 November. A major replenishment of the northeast monsoon arrived at the south China coast on 26 November, bringing cool and dry weather to Hong Kong. The temperature fell to a minimum of 17.8 degrees on 27 November, the lowest this month. It turned fine on 28 November.

    Fanned by the dry northerlies, hill fire which occurred on Lantau Island on the morning of 26 November spread and forced over 60 people in Discovery Bay to flee their homes. The hill fire lasted 40 hours and was finally put out on the morning of 28 November.

    Fine and dry weather continued for the rest of the month.

    A total of three tropical cyclones occurred in the western North Pacific and South China Sea in the month. 

    Details of issuance and cancellation of various warnings/signals in the month are summarized in Table 1.  Monthly meteorological figures and departures from normal for November are tabulated in Table 2.