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The Weather of June 2016

5 July 2016

    June 2016 was characterized by rainy weather during the first part of the month and persistent very hot weather in the latter part. Overall, the month was exceptionally hot. The monthly mean temperature was 29.4 degrees, 1.5 degrees higher than the normal figure of 27.9 degrees and the second hottest June on record. The monthly mean maximum temperature of 32.4 degrees and minimum temperature of 27.5 degrees were respectively the highest and the second highest for June. Despite there were several heavy rain episodes in the first half of the month, the monthly total rainfall was only 347.4 millimetres, about 24 percent below the normal figure of 456.1 millimetres. The accumulated rainfall for the first half year of 1232.8 millimetres was about 12 percent above the normal figure of 1096.9 millimetres for the same period.

    After a mainly fine and very hot start on the first four days of the month, the weather turned cloudy with thundery showers later on 4 June as a trough of low pressure over southern China edged towards the coast of Guangdong. The trough continued to linger over the coastal areas and maintained a fortnight-long spell of unsettled weather in Hong Kong. During the period, outbreaks of heavy rain on 6 and 11 June brought daily rainfall of more than 70 millimetres to most parts of the territory. The lowest temperature of the month, 24.1 degrees, occurred early in the morning on 8 June during another episode of heavy rain that dumped more than 50 millimetres of rainfall over Hong Kong Island. The strengthening of the southwest monsoon on 12 June brought windier conditions in the next three days and showery weather with thunderstorms continued to affect Hong Kong till 18 June.

    With the weakening of the trough and the establishment of the subtropical ridge over southern China, the weather turned sunny and very hot on 19 June as the territory came under the grip of a heat wave that lasted nine days. Under light wind conditions and prolonged sunshine, daily maximum temperatures at the Hong Kong Observatory soared above 35.0 degrees for four consecutive days from 24 to 27 June, breaking the previous record of three consecutive days from 30 May to 1 June in 1963. The highest temperature of the month of 35.5 degrees on 25 June was also the second highest temperature in June since records began in 1884.

    Affected by showers and thunderstorms associated with an area of low pressure moving across the coast of Guangdong, the very hot spell in Hong Kong was finally broken on 28 June. Under the influence of a southerly airstream, local weather remained hot and showery towards the end of the month.

    There was no tropical cyclone 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 June are tabulated in Table 2.


 

Warnings and Signals issued in June 2016


Table 1.1   Strong Monsoon Signal

Beginning Time Ending Time
Day/Month HKT Day/Month HKT
12 / 6 0830 12 / 6 1445


Table 1.2   Rainstorm Warning Signals

Colour Beginning Time Ending Time
Day/Month HKT Day/Month HKT
Amber 6 / 6 0625 6 / 6 0745
Amber 6 / 6 1130 6 / 6 1445
Amber 8 / 6 0445 8 / 6 0600
Amber 11 / 6 0335 11 / 6 0745


Table 1.3   Thunderstorm Warning

Beginning Time Ending Time
Day/Month HKT Day/Month HKT
4 / 6 0700 4 / 6 0815
4 / 6 1405 4 / 6 1700
5 / 6 0130 5 / 6 0300
5 / 6 0405 5 / 6 1000
5 / 6 1425 5 / 6 1830
6 / 6 0640 6 / 6 1600
7 / 6 1405 7 / 6 1630
8 / 6 0025 8 / 6 0830
8 / 6 1105 8 / 6 1215
8 / 6 1343 8 / 6 1610
9 / 6 1110 9 / 6 1430
10 / 6 1210 10 / 6 1730
10 / 6 1755 10 / 6 2000
10 / 6 2035 10 / 6 2145
11 / 6 0300 11 / 6 1410
12 / 6 0010 12 / 6 1400
12 / 6 1630 12 / 6 1730
13 / 6 0900 13 / 6 1200
14 / 6 1143 14 / 6 1245
15 / 6 1253 15 / 6 1500
16 / 6 1140 16 / 6 1700
17 / 6 0300 17 / 6 0530
17 / 6 0645 17 / 6 0845
17 / 6 1425 17 / 6 1530
17 / 6 2300 18 / 6 0100
18 / 6 1005 18 / 6 1445
18 / 6 1640 18 / 6 1745
22 / 6 1210 22 / 6 1315
24 / 6 1455 24 / 6 1545
25 / 6 0750 25 / 6 1000
25 / 6 1010 25 / 6 1045
26 / 6 1205 26 / 6 1315
26 / 6 2350 27 / 6 0200
27 / 6 1355 27 / 6 1500
28 / 6 0535 28 / 6 1000
28 / 6 1130 28 / 6 1330
29 / 6 0615 29 / 6 0815
29 / 6 1155 29 / 6 1300
29 / 6 1450 29 / 6 1715
29 / 6 2015 29 / 6 2115
29 / 6 2215 30 / 6 0015
30 / 6 1430 30 / 6 1530
30 / 6 2100 30 / 6 2300


Table 1.4   Very Hot Weather Warning

Beginning Time Ending Time
Day/Month HKT Day/Month HKT
31 / 5 1145 4 / 6 1450
19 / 6 0710 27 / 6 2045
30 / 6 0850 30 / 6 1745


Table 2   Figures and Departures from Normal - June 2016

Meteorological Element Figure of the Month Departure from Normal*
Mean Daily Maximum Air Temperature 32.4 degrees C 2.2 degrees above normal
Mean Air Temperature 29.4 degrees C 1.5 degrees above normal
Mean Daily Minimum Air Temperature 27.5 degrees C 1.3 degrees above normal
Mean Dew Point Temperature 25.8 degrees C 1.2 degrees above normal
Mean Relative Humidity 82 % normal
Mean Cloud Amount 70 % 7 % below normal
Total Rainfall 347.4 mm 108.7 mm below normal
Number of hours of Reduced VisibilityΔ 1 hour 17.5 hours below normal§
Total Bright Sunshine Duration 173.5 hours 27.4 hours above normal
Mean Daily Global Solar Radiation 17.82 Megajoule / square metre 3.63 Megajoule above normal
Total Evaporation 119.4& mm 2.3 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 2015

  &   Data incomplete

daily values of selected meteorological elements for HK for June 2016

The percentile map of mean temperature of June 2016

  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 June 2016 (isohyets are in millimetres)

Extract of Meteorological Observations in Hong Kong for June 2016