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    The Weather of November 2023

    4 December 2023

    With the northeast monsoon over the south China coast weaker than normal for most of the time in the month, November 2023 was much warmer than usual in Hong Kong.  The monthly mean temperature of 23.5 degrees, monthly mean maximum temperature of 26.1 degrees and monthly mean minimum temperature of 21.6 degrees were 1.3 degrees, 1.6 degrees and 1.3 degrees above their corresponding normals and respectively one of the second, one of the third and one of the fourth highest on record for November.  Together with the higher than usual temperatures in September and October, the autumn of this year from September to November was also much warmer than usual.  The mean minimum temperature of 24.4 degrees, mean temperature of 26.1 degrees and mean maximum temperature of 28.8 degrees were respectively one of the highest, one of the second and fifth highest on record for the same period.  The month was drier than usual with a total rainfall of 3.3 millimetres, only about 8 percent of the normal figure of 39.3 millimetres.  Mainly attributing to record-breaking rainstorms in September and October, the autumn of this year was exceptionally wet with a total rainfall of 1616.4 millimetres, the highest on record for the same period.  The accumulated rainfall this year up to November was 2773.6 millimetres, about 15 percent above the normal figure of 2402.4 millimetres for the same period.

    Under the influence of dry northeast monsoon, the weather of Hong Kong was fine and dry during the day on the first six days of the month.  With plenty of sunshine, temperatures at the Observatory rose to a maximum of 30.7 degrees on the afternoon of 6 November, the highest of the month.  Moreover, the daily mean temperature of 27.6 degrees on that day was the highest on record for November.

    With a band of clouds covering the coast of Guangdong and under the influence of a fresh to strong easterly airstream, the weather of Hong Kong turned mainly cloudy and cooler with a few rain patches on 7 – 8 November.  With the moderation of the easterly airstream, it was brighter and warmer with sunny intervals during the day on 9 – 10 November.  The daily minimum temperature of 25.6 degrees on 10 November was one of the highest on record for November.  A cold front moved across the coast of Guangdong on the morning of 11 November.  Locally, it was mainly cloudy with a few rain patches on that day.  The associated northeast monsoon brought mainly fine and slightly cooler weather to Hong Kong in the next four days.

    With the arrival of another replenishment of the northeast monsoon on 16 November, local weather was mainly cloudy at first on that day and became mainly fine and dry in the afternoon.  It was sunny and very dry with cool mornings on the next two days.  The temperature at the Observatory dropped to a minimum of 15.6 degrees on the morning of 17 November, the lowest of the month.  Under the influence of a dry northeast monsoon and the subsequent replenishment, fine and dry weather prevailed in Hong Kong from 19 – 28 November.  With a band of clouds covering the coast of Guangdong and under the influence of an easterly airstream, local weather turned cloudier with a few light rain patches on the last two days of November.

    There was no tropical cyclone over the South China Sea and the western North Pacific in November 2023.

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

     

    Warnings and Signals issued in November 2023

    Table 1.1   Strong Monsoon Signal
    Beginning Time Ending Time
    Day/Month HKT Day/Month HKT
    16 / 11 1145 17 / 11 1345
    24 / 11 0915 25 / 11 0745


    Table 1.2   Fire Danger Warnings
    Colour Beginning Time Ending Time
    Day/Month HKT Day/Month HKT
    Yellow 5 / 11 0845 5 / 11 1900
    Yellow 12 / 11 1030 12 / 11 2300
    Red 16 / 11 0600 19 / 11 2330
    Red 24 / 11 1115 24 / 11 1945
    Yellow 25 / 11 0700 25 / 11 1915
    Yellow 26 / 11 0600 26 / 11 1845


    Table 2   Figures and Departures from Normal - November 2023
    Meteorological Element Figure of the Month Departure from Normal*
    Mean Daily Maximum Air Temperature 26.1 degrees C 1.6 degrees above normal
    Mean Air Temperature 23.5 degrees C 1.3 degrees above normal
    Mean Daily Minimum Air Temperature 21.6 degrees C 1.3 degrees above normal
    Mean Dew Point Temperature 17.3 degrees C 0.6 degrees above normal
    Mean Relative Humidity 69 % 3 % below normal
    Mean Cloud Amount 50 % 8 % below normal
    Total Rainfall 3.3 mm 36.0 mm below normal
    Number of hours of Reduced VisibilityΔ 2 hours 102.3 hours below normal§
    Total Bright Sunshine Duration 208.2 hours 35.9 hours above normal
    Mean Daily Global Solar Radiation 14.57 Megajoule / square metre 2.31 Megajoule above normal
    Total Evaporation 89.3 mm 5.8 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 2022

    Daily values of selected meteorological elements for Hong Kong for November 2023

    The percentile map of mean temperature of November 2023

      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

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