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The Weather of October 2014

    Under the dominance of a relatively dry northeast monsoon, October 2014 was much warmer and sunnier than usual.  The mean temperature for the month was 26.2 degrees, 0.7 degrees above the normal figure of 25.5 degrees and also the one of the fifth highest for October since record began in 1884.  The monthly total duration of sunshine was 222.9 hours, about 15 percent above the normal figure of 193.9 hours.

    The monthly total rainfall of 109.8 millimetres was slightly above the normal figure of 100.9 millimetres.  The accumulated rainfall since 1 January was 2562.5 millimetres, about 10 percent above the normal of 2334.0 millimetres for the same period.

    With pulses of early-season northeast monsoon pushing towards the south China coast, local weather was unsettled with occasional heavy showers and squally thunderstorms on the first four days of the month, and a waterspout was spotted near Shek Pik on the morning of 3 October.

    The weather in Hong Kong turned fine on 5 October as a continental airstream reached southern China.  With further replenishment of dry air mass brought by the northeast monsoon, the weather remained generally fine for more than a fortnight till 22 October.  It became slightly cooler as well with nighttime temperatures falling to a minimum of 22.8 degrees on the morning of 15 October, the lowest of the month.

    While it was hot with sunny periods on 22 October, the arrival of a fresh to strong easterly airstream later that day coincided with the return of moist air to the coast of Guangdong.  After some rainy episodes that night and early on 23 October, the weather remained generally cloudy in the next three days.

    The clouds dispersed on 27 October and local weather became mainly fine. Despite a strengthening of the easterlies on 28 October, generally fine conditions prevailed till the end of the month.
 

    Three tropical cyclones occurred over the South China Sea and 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 1.4.  Monthly meteorological figures and departures from normal for October are tabulated in Table 2.


 

Table 1.1   Strong Monsoon Signal

Beginning Time Ending Time
Day/Month HKT Day/Month HKT
27 / 10 2010 29 / 10 0920


Table 1.2   Rainstorm Warning Signals

Colour Beginning Time Ending Time
Day/Month HKT Day/Month HKT
Amber 1 / 10 0155 1 / 10 0330
Amber 3 / 10 2005 3 / 10 2145


Table 1.3   Thunderstorm Warning

Beginning Time Ending Time
Day/Month HKT Day/Month HKT
1 / 10 0030 1 / 10 0400
2 / 10 0015 2 / 10 0215
2 / 10 1615 2 / 10 1735
3 / 10 0650 3 / 10 0830
3 / 10 1120 3 / 10 1600
3 / 10 1835 3 / 10 2245
3 / 10 2330 4 / 10 1030


Table 1.4   Fire Danger Warnings

Colour Beginning Time Ending Time
Day/Month HKT Day/Month HKT
Yellow 2 / 10 0600 2 / 10 1945
Yellow 5 / 10 0630 5 / 10 2145
Red 6 / 10 0600 6 / 10 2245
Red 9 / 10 0600 9 / 10 1900
Yellow 11 / 10 0600 12 / 10 0600
Red 12 / 10 0600 13 / 10 2130
Yellow 18 / 10 0600 19 / 10 2315
Yellow 26 / 10 0600 26 / 10 2130


Table 2   Figures and Departures from Normal - October 2014

Meteorological Element Figure of the Month Departure from Normal*
Mean Daily Maximum Air Temperature 28.9 degrees C 1.1 degrees above normal
Mean Air Temperature 26.2 degrees C 0.7 degree above normal
Mean Daily Minimum Air Temperature 24.3 degrees C 0.6 degree above normal
Mean Dew Point Temperature 20.4 degrees C 0.2 degree above normal
Mean Relative Humidity 71 % 2 % below normal
Mean Cloud Amount 54 % 4 % below normal
Total Rainfall 109.8 mm 8.9 mm above normal
Number of hours of Reduced VisibilityΔ 81 hours 72.3 hours below normal§
Total Bright Sunshine Duration 222.9 hours 29.0 hours above normal
Mean Daily Global Solar Radiation 16.30 Megajoule / square metre 2.25 Megajoule above normal
Total Evaporation 146.4 mm 22.5 mm above 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 and visibility which was observed at the Hong Kong International Airport.
  Δ

The visibility readings at the Hong Kong International Airport are based on hourly observations by professional meteorological observers in 2004 and before, and average readings over the 10-minute period before the clock hour of the visibility meter near the middle of the south runway from 2005 onwards. The change of the data source in 2005 is an improvement of the visibility assessment using instrumented observations following the international trend.
Before 10 October 2007, the number of hours of reduced visibility at the Hong Kong International Airport in 2005 and thereafter displayed in this web page was based on hourly visibility observations by professional meteorological observers. Since 10 October 2007, the data have been revised using the average visibility readings over the 10-minute period before the clock hour, as recorded by the visibility meter near the middle of the south runway.


  *   Departure from 1981 - 2010 climatological normal, except for number of hours of reduced visibility

  §   Departure from mean value between 1997 and 2013

daily values of selected meteorological elements for HK for October 2014

The percentile map of mean temperature of October 2014

  Remarks : Extremely high: above 95th percentile
Above normal: between 75th and 95th percentile
Normal: between 25th and 75th percentile
Below normal: between 5th and 25th percentile
Extremely low: below 5th percentile
Percentile and 5-day running average values are
computed based on the data from 1981 to 2010



Rainfall Map For October 2014 (isohyets are in millimetres)

Extract of Meteorological Observations in Hong Kong for October 2014