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The Weather of March 2024 - A March with record-breaking high temperature

3 April 2024

While the weather of Hong Kong was cold in early March 2024, with the northeast monsoon over the south China coast much weaker than normal in the second half of the month, March 2024 was overall much warmer than usual in Hong Kong.  The monthly mean maximum temperature of 23.9 degrees, monthly mean temperature of 21.1 degrees and monthly mean minimum temperature of 19.1 degrees were 2.0 degrees, 1.6 degrees and 1.5 degrees above their corresponding normals and respectively one of the sixth, the eighth and one of the eighth highest on record for March.  Moreover, the maximum temperature recorded at the Observatory reached a record high of 31.5 degrees on 24 March, easily breaking the previous record for March set way back in 1973.  The month was also drier than usual with a total rainfall of 21.6 millimetres, about 29 percent of the normal figure of 75.3 millimetres.  The accumulated rainfall recorded in the first three months of the year was 32.4 millimetres, about 78 percent below the normal figure of 147.4 millimetres for the same period. 

Under the influence of the northeast monsoon and with a broad band of clouds covering Guangdong, the weather of Hong Kong was cold and mainly cloudy with a few rain patches on the first two days of the month.  The temperatures at the Observatory fell to a minimum of 9.6 degrees on the morning of 2 March, the lowest of the month.  While it was mainly cloudy with a few light rain patches on 3 March, the weather turned brighter in that afternoon.  

Affected by a humid southerly airstream, the weather was mainly cloudy and misty with a few rain patches and rising temperatures on 4 – 5 March.  The visibility in the harbour once fell to about 1000 metres on the morning of 5 March.  With sunny intervals, it was also rather warm during the day on that day.  Under light wind conditions, it was mainly cloudy and foggy with a few rain patches at first on 6 March.  The visibility at Waglan Island once fell to around 100 metres.  With the arrival of the northeast monsoon and a broad band of clouds covering the coast of Guangdong, local weather turned cooler with a few rain patches on that afternoon and remained so on the next day.  The weather improved with sunny periods during the day on 8 March.  

Under the influence of a replenishment of the strong northeast monsoon and a band of clouds covering the coast of Guangdong, local weather turned cloudy and cooler with a few rain patches on 9 – 10 March. Affected by upper-air disturbances, it was cloudy with showers on 11 March.  More than 10 millimetres of rainfall were recorded over many places of the territory.  With the departure of the upper-air disturbances and affected by a continental airstream, the weather turned fine that night and the next day.  It was mainly fine at first on 13 March and turned mainly cloudy during the day when a fresh to strong easterly airstream arrived.  The weather of Hong Kong remained mainly cloudy in the next two days.  

With the easterly airstream affecting the coast of Guangdong gradually replaced by a humid maritime airstream, local weather turned misty with a few light rain patches on 16 March.  It was mainly cloudy and foggy with a few rain patches on 17 – 18 March.  The visibility in the harbour once fell below 1000 metres on the morning of 17 March and it was rather warm with sunny periods during the day that day.  A cold front moved across the coastal areas of Guangdong on the morning of 19 March.  Locally, while it was mainly cloudy with a few rain patches in the morning, under the influence of the associated dry northeast monsoon, the weather turned mainly fine and dry on that afternoon and remained so on the next two days.

With the northeast monsoon affecting the coast of Guangdong gradually replaced by a warm and humid southerly airstream, local weather was mainly cloudy with a few rain patches in the morning and became warm with sunny periods during the day on 22 March.  Under the influence of the southerly airstream, it was hot with sunny periods during the day on 23 – 26 March.  With plenty of sunshine, the temperatures at the Observatory soared to a maximum of 31.5 degrees on the afternoon of 24 March, the highest of the month and also the highest maximum temperature for March on record.  The visibility over parts of the territory was also low on the mornings of 24 – 26 March.  The visibility at Waglan Island once fell below 500 metres on the morning of 25 March.  Affected by a fresh easterly airstream, the weather turned cooler and cloudier with a few light rain patches on 27 March.  Under light wind conditions and the subsequent southerly airstream, it was mainly cloudy with a few showers and local temperatures recovered again on the last four days of the month.  It was hot during the day on 29 – 31 March.  The daily mean temperature of 27.1 degrees and daily minimum temperature of 26.0 degrees on 31 March were both the highest on record for March.  The visibility over parts of the territory was also low on the mornings of 29 – 30 March.  The visibility at Waglan Island once fell below 1000 metres on the morning of 30 March.


Sea fog in the vicinity of Ma Wan on the morning of 6 March 2024
(Photo courtesy of Lan Yu Yang)

Sea fog over the Victoria Harbour on the morning of 6 March 2024
(Photo courtesy of Ronald Yu)

Sea fog over the Victoria Harbour on the morning of 18 March 2024
(Photo courtesy of Chung Ming Lee)


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

Details of issuance and cancellation of various warnings/signals in the month are summarised in Tables 1.1 to 1.3.  Monthly meteorological figures and departures from normal for March are tabulated in Table 2.

 

Warnings and Signals issued in March 2024

Table 1.1   Strong Monsoon Signal
Beginning Time Ending Time
Day/Month HKT Day/Month HKT
9 / 3 0545 11 / 3 0600
13 / 3 1220 14 / 3 0445


Table 1.2   Fire Danger Warnings
Colour Beginning Time Ending Time
Day/Month HKT Day/Month HKT
Red 12 / 3 1145 12 / 3 2045
Red 20 / 3 0600 20 / 3 2330
Red 21 / 3 0730 21 / 3 1930
Yellow 24 / 3 1000 24 / 3 1800
Yellow 30 / 3 1030 30 / 3 1800


Table 1.3   Cold Weather Warning
Beginning Time Ending Time
Day/Month HKT Day/Month HKT
29 / 2 1620 3 / 3 1015


Table 2   Figures and Departures from Normal - March 2024
Meteorological Element Figure of the Month Departure from Normal*
Mean Daily Maximum Air Temperature 23.9 degrees C 2.0 degrees above normal
Mean Air Temperature 21.1 degrees C 1.6 degrees above normal
Mean Daily Minimum Air Temperature 19.1 degrees C 1.5 degrees above normal
Mean Dew Point Temperature 16.9 degrees C 0.8 degrees above normal
Mean Relative Humidity 78 % 4 % below normal
Mean Cloud Amount 77 % normal
Total Rainfall 21.6 mm 53.7 mm below normal
Number of hours of Reduced VisibilityΔ 25 hours 66.6 hours below normal§
Total Bright Sunshine Duration 122.8 hours 22.8 hours above normal
Mean Daily Global Solar Radiation 12.39 Megajoule / square metre 1.68 Megajoule above normal
Total Evaporation 73.1 mm 0.1 mm below 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 March 2024

The percentile map of mean temperature of March 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