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The Weather of February 2024 - A mild and dry February

4 March 2024

With the northeast monsoon over southern China generally weaker than normal for most of the time in the month, February 2024 was much warmer than usual in Hong Kong.  The monthly mean minimum temperature of 17.6 degrees, monthly mean temperature of 19.4 degrees and monthly mean maximum temperature of 21.9 degrees were 2.3 degrees, 2.3 degrees and 2.5 degrees above their corresponding normals and respectively the fourth, the fifth and one of the seventh highest on record for February.  Together with the well above normal temperatures in December 2023 and January 2024, the winter from December 2023 to February 2024 was exceptionally warm in Hong Kong.  The mean minimum temperature of 16.9 degrees and mean temperature of 18.8 were both the second highest on record for the same period.  The mean maximum temperature of 21.3 degrees was the third highest on record for the same period.  The month was also drier than usual with a total rainfall of only 4.1 millimetres, about 11 percent of the normal figure of 38.9 millimetres.  The accumulated rainfall recorded in the first two months of the year was 10.8 millimetres, about 85 percent below the normal figure of 72.1 millimetres for the same period.

Under the influence of a humid maritime airstream, the weather of Hong Kong was foggy with a few light rain patches in the morning and at night on the first two days of the month.  The visibility in the harbour fell to below 1000 metres on the night of 1 February.  It was also warm with sunny periods during the day on these two days.  A fresh easterly airstream affected Hong Kong on 3 February and there was coastal mist in the morning and sunny intervals during the day.  The weather was mainly cloudy with a few rain patches and coastal fog the next day.  The visibility at Waglan Island once fell to around 200 metres.

A weak cold front crossed the coast of Guangdong on the morning of 5 February.  Under the influence of the associated northeast monsoon, local weather was mainly cloudy with a few rain patches on 5 – 6 February.  There was also coastal fog on the morning of 5 February and the visibility at Waglan Island once fell to around 100 metres. Temperatures dropped slightly on 6 February.  With the arrival of an intense replenishment of the northeast monsoon, temperatures over Hong Kong fell appreciably on 7 February and it became cold on 8 – 9 February.  The temperatures at the Observatory fell to a minimum of 11.0 degrees on the morning of 9 February, the lowest of the month.  A broad band of rain and clouds also brought a few rain patches to the territory during 7 – 9 February.

While the weather still remained cold with a few rain patches on the morning of 10 February, with the departure of the cloud band covering the coastal areas of Guangdong, the weather of Hong Kong turned fine and dry in that afternoon and remained so on the next three days.  Under clear skies, the temperatures in the New Territories were significantly lower than the urban areas on the mornings of 11 and 12 February.   With the moderation of the northeast monsoon, the weather was warm during the day on 14 – 15 February and temperatures over most parts of Hong Kong rose to 25 degrees or above.  A cold front moved across the coastal areas of Guangdong on the morning of 16 February.  While local weather was fine at first, with a band of clouds covering the coastal areas of Guangdong, it became cooler with a few light rain patches on the afternoon of 16 February and remained so the next day.

With the northeast monsoon affecting the coastal areas of Guangdong being gradually replaced by a warm and humid maritime airstream, local weather was warm with sunny periods during the day on 18 – 22 February.  With plenty of sunshine on 21 February, the temperatures at the Observatory rose to a maximum of 27.8 degrees on that afternoon, the highest of the month.  It was also foggy on the mornings of 19 – 22 February.  The visibility in the harbour fell below 500 metres on 19 February.  Another cold front moved across the coast of southern China on the night of 22 February.  Under the influence of the associated northeast monsoon, the weather turned mainly cloudy and cooler with a few light rain patches in the morning and at night on 23 – 28 February.  With the strengthening of the northeast monsoon affecting the coast of southern China, the weather of Hong Kong became cool appreciably in the later part of the afternoon on the last day of the month.

Fog over Victoria Harbour on the night of 1 February 2024
(Photos courtesy of Dicky Ng (top) and Nick Choy (bottom))

Fog over Victoria Harbour on the morning of 19 February 2024
(Photo courtesy of Chung Ming Lee)

Sea fog near Ting Kau Bridge on the morning of 21 February 2024
(Photo courtesy of Lan Yu Yang)


There was no tropical cyclone over the South China Sea and the western North Pacific in February 2024.

Details of issuance and cancellation of various warnings/signals in the month are summarised in Tables 1.1 to 1.2.  Monthly meteorological figures and departures from normal for February are tabulated in Table 2.
 

Warnings and Signals issued in February 2024

Table 1.1   Fire Danger Warnings
Colour Beginning Time Ending Time
Day/Month HKT Day/Month HKT
Yellow 10 / 2 0945 10 / 2 1845
Yellow 11 / 2 0600 11 / 2 0745
Red 11 / 2 0745 11 / 2 2330
Yellow 12 / 2 0600 12 / 2 0915
Red 12 / 2 0915 12 / 2 2300
Yellow 13 / 2 0600 13 / 2 2000
Yellow 18 / 2 1150 18 / 2 1700
Yellow 25 / 2 0730 25 / 2 2100


Table 1.2   Cold Weather Warning
Beginning Time Ending Time
Day/Month HKT Day/Month HKT
7 / 2 1620 11 / 2 0945
29 / 2 1620 3 / 3 1015


Table 2   Figures and Departures from Normal - February 2024
Meteorological Element Figure of the Month Departure from Normal*
Mean Daily Maximum Air Temperature 21.9 degrees C 2.5 degrees above normal
Mean Air Temperature 19.4 degrees C 2.3 degrees above normal
Mean Daily Minimum Air Temperature 17.6 degrees C 2.3 degrees above normal
Mean Dew Point Temperature 15.7 degrees C 2.5 degrees above normal
Mean Relative Humidity 80 % 1 % above normal
Mean Cloud Amount 75 % 3 % above normal
Total Rainfall 4.1 mm 34.8 mm below normal
Number of hours of Reduced VisibilityΔ 5 hours 101.9 hours below normal§
Total Bright Sunshine Duration 107.4 hours 5.7 hours above normal
Mean Daily Global Solar Radiation 11.19 Megajoule / square metre 0.95 Megajoule above normal
Total Evaporation 63.8 mm 3.4 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 1991 - 2020 climatological normal, except for number of hours of reduced visibility

  §   Departure from mean value between 1997 and 2023

Daily values of selected meteorological elements for Hong Kong for February 2024

The percentile map of mean temperature of February 2024
  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 1991 to 2020