2 March 2022

With stronger than normal winter monsoon affecting southern China in the month, the weather of Hong Kong was much colder than usual in February 2022. The monthly mean temperature was 15.2 degrees, 1.9 degrees below the normal figure of 17.1 degrees. Mainly attributing to the continuous rain episode on 19 – 22 February, the month was also much wetter than usual with a total rainfall of 168.5 millimetres, more than four times of the normal of 38.9 millimetres and the sixth highest on record for February. The accumulated rainfall recorded in the first two months of the year was 172.6 millimetres, more than two times of the normal figure of 71.9 millimetres for the same period.

Under the influence of the winter monsoon and a broad cloud band over southern China, the weather of Hong Kong was cloudy with a few rain patches on the first three days of the month. With the cloud band thinning out by the drier northerly airstream, local weather turned generally fine on the afternoon of 4 February. The northerly airstream also brought cold mornings to the territory on 3 – 4 February. With winds turning gradually to the east, it was mainly cloudy with sunny intervals on 5 February. Affected by a fresh to strong easterly airstream, there were sunny periods on the next day. With a broad band of clouds covering southern China, the weather of Hong Kong turned cloudy with a few rain and mist patches on 7 February. Local weather remained mainly cloudy on 8 – 10 February. There were also a few rain patches on the morning of 8 February.

With the cloud band thinning out, the weather of Hong Kong became generally fine on 11 February. Under the influence of an easterly airstream, there were morning mist and sunny periods during the day on 12 February. A cold front moved across the coastal areas of Guangdong during the day on 13 February. The weather of Hong Kong turned cloudy and cooler with a few rain and mist patches on that day. Under the influence of the dry continental airstream, local weather became generally fine and dry later on 14 February. With winds freshening from the east, local weather turned cloudier with sunny periods during the day on 15 – 16 February. Affected by a strong easterly airstream and a cloud band covering the coast of Guangdong, it was cloudy and cool with a few rain and mist patches on the next two days.

A cold front moved across the coastal areas of Guangdong in the small hours of 19 February. Under the influence of the associated intense winter monsoon and the upper-air disturbances, the weather of Hong Kong became overcast and cold with frequent rain on 19 – 22 February. More than 150 millimetres of rainfall were generally recorded over the territory on these four days. The prolonged cold and rainy weather also brought the temperature at the Observatory down to 7.5 degrees on the morning of 21 February, the lowest of the month. With the departure of the upper-air disturbances, the weather turned generally fine with cold mornings on 23 – 25 February. With the moderation of the winter monsoon, local weather remained generally fine with temperatures rising progressively towards the end of the month. On the afternoon of 28 February, the temperature at the Observatory rose to a maximum of 22.5 degrees, the highest of the month.

There was no tropical cyclone over the South China Sea and the western North Pacific in February 2022.

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 February are tabulated in Table 2.