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The Year's Weather - 2000

    The year 2000 was warmer and wetter than usual. The mean temperature of 23.3 degrees was the eighth highest on record and the mean minimum temperature of 21.5 degrees was the sixth highest. The annual total rainfall of 2752.3 millimetres was 24 per cent above normal. The mean atmospheric pressure of 1011.9 hectopascals was the fifth lowest recorded. Seven tropical cyclones necessitated the hoisting of Tropical Cyclone Warning Signals. However, no Signal No. 8 or higher was hoisted.

    January 2000 was warmer and wetter than usual. The monthly mean temperature was 1.2 degrees higher than normal.

    It was cooler and drier than normal in February.

    March was again drier but warmer than normal.

    April was warmer than normal and marked by unsettled weather and heavy rain. The total rainfall of 547.7 millimetres, more than three times the normal figure, was the highest record for April. The Black Rainstorm Warning Signal was issued on 23 April.

    May was drier than normal. Prolonged periods of sunshine brought very hot weather to Hong Kong on the last three days of the month. The Very Hot Weather Warning was issued on May 29 for the first time.

    June remained warmer than usual. Despite a mean relative humidity of only 78 per cent, the lowest record for June, the month was also rainier than usual. The Black Rainstorm Warning Signal was issued on June 12. A tropical depression formed rapidly over the waters just to the south of Lantau Island on June 18. It necessitated the direct hoisting of the Strong Wind Signal No. 3. The tropical depression then crossed Hong Kong and landed near Tsuen Wan before dissipating rapidly.

    July was slightly drier than normal. Typhoon Kai-tak and another Tropical Depression necessitated the hoisting of the Standby Signal No. 1.

    Hong Kong was affected by unsettled weather with heavy rain due to passages of troughs of low pressure and tropical cyclones in August. The Standby Signal No. 1 was hoisted for Typhoon Bilis and Severe Tropical Storm Maria respectively during the month. The Black Rainstorm Warning Signal was issued on 24 August.

    September was drier and slightly warmer than usual. Severe Tropical Storm Maria headed towards the south China coast on the early morning of September 1 and the Strong Wind Signal No. 3 was hoisted. Typhoon Wukong also necessitated the hoisting of the Strong Wind Signal in the month.

    October was warmer and wetter than normal. It was also a windy month with the Strong Monsoon Signal hoisted on 13 days of the month.

    It was cooler and wetter than usual in November. During the passage of Severe Tropical Storm Bebinca, the Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal was hoisted for a duration of 89 hours, the longest for a tropical cyclone in November.

    December was warmer and wetter than usual.

Summary of Meteorological Observations in Hong Kong, 2000
 
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Month		 blank space
Mean
Pressure
(hPa)		 Air     Temperature blank space
Mean
Dew Point
Temperature
(deg. C)		 blank space
Mean
Relative
Humidity
(%)		 blank space
Mean
Amount
of Cloud
(%)		 blank space
Total
Rainfall
(mm)
blank space
Mean Daily
Maximum
(deg. C)		 blank space
Mean
(deg. C)		 blank space
Mean Daily
Minimum
(deg. C)
January 1019.5 19.1 17.0 15.3 12.2 74 64 70.3
February 1017.8 17.4 15.4 13.6 11.8 80 70 27.6
March 1015.3 21.5 19.2 17.2 15.2 79 67 40.9
April 1011.1 25.1 23.1 21.4 20.4 85 85 547.7
May 1008.6 28.4 26.1 24.5 22.3 80 75 208.3
June 1007.1 30.8 28.3 26.4 24.0 78 70 443.3
July 1003.5 31.3 28.8 26.9 24.9 80 71 304.0
August 1004.5 30.8 28.5 26.6 24.9 81 71 600.7
September 1009.0 29.9 27.7 25.8 21.9 72 61 152.6
October 1011.9 27.8 26.0 24.2 21.5 77 70 204.1
November 1016.6 22.9 21.0 19.2 16.0 74 68 96.8
December 1018.4 21.0 18.9 17.0 14.3 76 55 56.0
Mean/Total 1011.9 25.5 23.3 21.5 19.1 78 69 2752.3
Normal 1012.9 25.7 23.0 20.9 18.6 77 65 2214.3
Station Hong  Kong  Observatory


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Month		 blank space
Total Bright
Sunshine
(hours)		 blank space
Mean Daily
Global Solar
Radiation
(MJ/m2)		 blank space
Total
Evaporation
(mm)		 blank space
Prevailing
Wind
Direction
(degrees)		 blank space
Mean
Wind Speed
(km/h)
January 130.7 9.63 72.1 050 25.7
February 99.7 9.31 54.0 060 24.8
March 137.1 13.15 94.3 040 22.0
April 77.3 10.35 79.9 070 21.8
May 148.5 15.59 126.3 080 21.3
June 207.1 17.28 144.2 230 22.7
July 221.9 17.73 157.6 240 23.9
August 176.4 14.76 136.3 240 17.0
September 217.2 17.32 145.6 080 23.7
October 165.5 12.56 120.6 080 32.5
November 119.6 10.34 81.8 010 28.7
December 163.9 10.76 72.6 070 25.3
Mean/Total 1864.9 13.23 1285.3 070 24.1
Normal 1948.1 14.46 1528.8 080 22.6
Station King's  Park Waglan  Island^


The minimum pressure recorded at the Hong Kong Observatory was 992.4 hectopascals at 0236 HKT on 1 September.

The maximum air temperature recorded at the Hong Kong Observatory was 34.2 degrees Celsius at 1504 HKT on 5 June.

The minimum air temperature recorded at the Hong Kong Observatory was 7.2 degrees Celsius at 0726 HKT on 27 January.

The maximum gust peak speed recorded at Waglan Island was 101 kilometres per hour from 280 degrees at 0532 HKT on 1 September.

The maximum instantaneous rate of rainfall recorded at King's Park was 279 millimetres per hour at 0044 HKT on 23 April.

^ In case the data are not available from Waglan Island, observations of Cheung Chau or other nearby weather stations will be incorporated in computing the Prevailing Wind Direction and Mean Wind Speed