Hottest August on record

Hottest August on record

Hui Kin-chung

August 2023 was much hotter than usual in Hong Kong, mainly due to the warmer than normal sea surface temperature over the northern part of the South China Sea and a stronger than usual southwesterly flow in the lower atmosphere over the south China coast. The monthly mean temperature of 29.7 degrees and monthly mean minimum temperature of 27.8 degrees were 1.0 degrees and 1.1 degrees, respectively above their normal levels, and both were the highest on record for August since records began in 1884. Moreover, the monthly mean maximum temperature of 32.4 degrees was 1.1 degrees above normal and the second highest on record for August. There were 15 hot nights (daily minimum temperature equal to or higher than 28.0 degrees) in August 2023, one of the highest totals on record for August.

Long-term time series of mean temperature in Hong Kong in August (1884-2023)

Long-term time series of number of hot nights in Hong Kong in August (1884-2023)