Hong Kong has a sub-tropical climate, dominated by the long, hot, humid summer. Though the absolute temperature is not extremely high - with the observatory recording a maximum of 36C - it feels far worse because of the humidity. And things aren’t helped by the fact that it barely cools down at night: even by dawn, it may still be 28C.
The heat and humidity can make Hong Kong in summer less comfortable than even several coastal places nearer the equator. I’ve been to a couple of resorts where I’ve sat under palm trees, enjoying balmy temperatures and wishing Hong Kong could be so comfortable.
Along with the summer heat comes the chance of rainfall, especially around June, when there may be persistent deluges, with rain falling from the sky as if being tipped from an endless array of buckets. There may be severe thunderstorms too. With conditions generally too hot for big coats, umbrellas are essential.
Late summer and autumn bring a chance of typhoons. Usually, there isn’t much to worry about, as a tropical storm (a budding typhoon, but less ferocious) comes close, or a typhoon passes a harmless distance away. Very occasionally though, there is a direct hit by a typhoon, and Hong Kong is brought to a standstill.
The heat eases by October, and the humidity drops, giving rise to pleasant autumn days, albeit nowadays marred by smog. Late autumn and winter are often dry and sunny; but by January and February there’s a chance of chill, grey spells: you might find one day is nice and warm, then the northeast monsoon sweeps down from Siberia, and temperatures drop to around 10C - which can be unpleasant given temperatures inside can fall almost as low as outside.
March sees the transition to spring, with the chance of fog as warm humid air chills over the sea. April may sometimes start cool, but by the end of the month it’s usually hot again, and you can pretty much pack away your jumpers until October.
Important Links:
