The Weather of March 2026 - An unseasonably warm and rainy March
2 April 2026
Extract of Meteorological Observations in Hong Kong for March 2026
The weather for March 2026 was much warmer than usual in Hong Kong. The monthly total sunshine duration amounted to 165.0 hours, 65 percent above the normal of 100.0 hours. With more sunshine, the monthly mean temperature of 21.5 degrees, monthly mean maximum temperature of 24.5 degrees and monthly mean minimum temperature of 19.6 degrees were 2.0 degrees, 2.6 degrees and 2.0 degrees above their corresponding normals and respectively one of the second, the third and the fifth highest on record for March. Mainly attributing to the rainfall brought by the upper-air disturbances on 3 – 4 March, the month was much wetter than usual with a total rainfall of 154.4 millimeters, more than double the normal of 75.3 millimetres. The accumulated rainfall in the first three months of the year was 199.2 millimetres, about 35 percent above the normal of 147.4 millimetres for the same period.
Under the influence of a southerly airstream and a band of clouds, the weather of Hong Kong was mainly cloudy with one or two rain patches and coastal fog on the first two days of the month. Besides, a cold front moved across the coast of Guangdong on the night of 2 March, bringing showers and isolated squally thunderstorms to Hong Kong, with about 30 millimetres of rainfall recorded over parts of the territory. The associated northeast monsoon brought cooler mornings on the following three days. Temperature at the Observatory fell to a minimum of 15.4 degrees on the morning of 4 March, the lowest of the month. Meanwhile, upper-air disturbances also brought showers to the territory on 3 – 4 March. Showers were heavier at times with more than 100 millimetres of rainfall recorded over Kowloon, Tseung Kwan O and parts of Lantau Island on these two days. There were also isolated thunderstorms on 3 March. With the band of clouds thinning out, apart from one or two rain patches in the morning, there were sunny periods on 5 March.
A relatively dry easterly airstream brought generally fine weather to Hong Kong on 6 – 9 March. It was also dry during the day on 6 – 8 March. Under the influence of the northeast monsoon and a band of clouds, it was mainly cloudy on 10 – 11 March. It was also cool with one or two rain patches on the morning of 10 March. With the thinning out of the cloud band on the afternoon of 11 March and a replenishment of the dry northeast monsoon on the night of 12 March, the local weather turned fine on 12 – 16 March. As the northeast monsoon moderated gradually and a band of clouds covered the coast of Guangdong, the local weather became mainly cloudy with one or two light rain patches on 17 March. As the cloud band thinned out, it was generally fine on the following two days. It was also hot on the afternoon of 19 March.
With the setting in of a fresh to strong easterly airstream and a band of clouds, the weather of Hong Kong turned cloudy with a few light rain patches on 20 – 21 March. With the moderation of the easterly airstream and the thinning out of the cloud band, local weather became generally fine and warm during the day on 22 – 23 March. Winds were weak on the next two days, with coastal mist in the morning and at night. It remained warm during the day with sunny periods on 24 March. Under light wind condition, it was hot on the afternoon of 25 March with temperature at the Observatory rising to a maximum of 30.0 degrees, the highest of the month. With the setting in of a relatively humid easterly airstream, the local weather turned mainly cloudy with a hot afternoon and coastal mist the next day. While there were mist patches on the morning of 27 March, a trough of low pressure brought showers and thunderstorms to the territory that afternoon. With the return of a relatively humid easterly airstream, the weather of Hong Kong was mainly cloudy with a few showers and relatively low visibility the next day. Under the influence of a southerly airstream, it remained mainly cloudy with one or two rain patches on 29 March. An area of intense thundery showers associated with the upper-air disturbances affected the vicinity of the Pearl River Estuary, bringing showers and severe squally thunderstorms to the territory during the day on 30 March. Violent gusts over 120 kilometres per hour were once recorded at Lau Fau Shan. Under the influence of a trough of low pressure, local weather on the last day of the month remained mainly cloudy with one or two showers and isolated thunderstorms at night.
One tropical cyclone occurred over the South China Sea and the western North Pacific in March 2026.
Details of issuance and cancellation of various warnings/signals in the month are summarised in Tables 1.1 to 1.4. Monthly meteorological figures and departures from normal for March are tabulated in Table 2.
Under the influence of a southerly airstream and a band of clouds, the weather of Hong Kong was mainly cloudy with one or two rain patches and coastal fog on the first two days of the month. Besides, a cold front moved across the coast of Guangdong on the night of 2 March, bringing showers and isolated squally thunderstorms to Hong Kong, with about 30 millimetres of rainfall recorded over parts of the territory. The associated northeast monsoon brought cooler mornings on the following three days. Temperature at the Observatory fell to a minimum of 15.4 degrees on the morning of 4 March, the lowest of the month. Meanwhile, upper-air disturbances also brought showers to the territory on 3 – 4 March. Showers were heavier at times with more than 100 millimetres of rainfall recorded over Kowloon, Tseung Kwan O and parts of Lantau Island on these two days. There were also isolated thunderstorms on 3 March. With the band of clouds thinning out, apart from one or two rain patches in the morning, there were sunny periods on 5 March.
A relatively dry easterly airstream brought generally fine weather to Hong Kong on 6 – 9 March. It was also dry during the day on 6 – 8 March. Under the influence of the northeast monsoon and a band of clouds, it was mainly cloudy on 10 – 11 March. It was also cool with one or two rain patches on the morning of 10 March. With the thinning out of the cloud band on the afternoon of 11 March and a replenishment of the dry northeast monsoon on the night of 12 March, the local weather turned fine on 12 – 16 March. As the northeast monsoon moderated gradually and a band of clouds covered the coast of Guangdong, the local weather became mainly cloudy with one or two light rain patches on 17 March. As the cloud band thinned out, it was generally fine on the following two days. It was also hot on the afternoon of 19 March.
With the setting in of a fresh to strong easterly airstream and a band of clouds, the weather of Hong Kong turned cloudy with a few light rain patches on 20 – 21 March. With the moderation of the easterly airstream and the thinning out of the cloud band, local weather became generally fine and warm during the day on 22 – 23 March. Winds were weak on the next two days, with coastal mist in the morning and at night. It remained warm during the day with sunny periods on 24 March. Under light wind condition, it was hot on the afternoon of 25 March with temperature at the Observatory rising to a maximum of 30.0 degrees, the highest of the month. With the setting in of a relatively humid easterly airstream, the local weather turned mainly cloudy with a hot afternoon and coastal mist the next day. While there were mist patches on the morning of 27 March, a trough of low pressure brought showers and thunderstorms to the territory that afternoon. With the return of a relatively humid easterly airstream, the weather of Hong Kong was mainly cloudy with a few showers and relatively low visibility the next day. Under the influence of a southerly airstream, it remained mainly cloudy with one or two rain patches on 29 March. An area of intense thundery showers associated with the upper-air disturbances affected the vicinity of the Pearl River Estuary, bringing showers and severe squally thunderstorms to the territory during the day on 30 March. Violent gusts over 120 kilometres per hour were once recorded at Lau Fau Shan. Under the influence of a trough of low pressure, local weather on the last day of the month remained mainly cloudy with one or two showers and isolated thunderstorms at night.
One tropical cyclone occurred over the South China Sea and the western North Pacific in March 2026.
Details of issuance and cancellation of various warnings/signals in the month are summarised in Tables 1.1 to 1.4. Monthly meteorological figures and departures from normal for March are tabulated in Table 2.
Warnings and Signals issued in March 2026
| Beginning Time | Ending Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Day/Month | HKT | Day/Month | HKT |
| 28 / 2 | 1110 | 1 / 3 | 1145 |
| 13 / 3 | 0020 | 14 / 3 | 0600 |
| Colour | Beginning Time | Ending Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day/Month | HKT | Day/Month | HKT | |
| Amber | 2 / 3 | 1950 | 2 / 3 | 2215 |
| Amber | 3 / 3 | 2325 | 4 / 3 | 0155 |
| Amber | 30 / 3 | 1000 | 30 / 3 | 1100 |
| Beginning Time | Ending Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Day/Month | HKT | Day/Month | HKT |
| 2 / 3 | 1925 | 3 / 3 | 0030 |
| 3 / 3 | 2205 | 4 / 3 | 0600 |
| 27 / 3 | 1520 | 27 / 3 | 1845 |
| 28 / 3 | 1232 | 28 / 3 | 1350 |
| 29 / 3 | 1818 | 29 / 3 | 2045 |
| 30 / 3 | 0925 | 30 / 3 | 1130 |
| 30 / 3 | 1315 | 30 / 3 | 1435 |
| 31 / 3 | 2000 | 31 / 3 | 2200 |
| Colour | Beginning Time | Ending Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day/Month | HKT | Day/Month | HKT | |
| Yellow | 7 / 3 | 0600 | 7 / 3 | 1945 |
| Yellow | 8 / 3 | 0600 | 8 / 3 | 2000 |
| Red | 13 / 3 | 0600 | 13 / 3 | 2300 |
| Red | 14 / 3 | 0600 | 14 / 3 | 2100 |
| Yellow | 15 / 3 | 0600 | 15 / 3 | 2130 |
| Red | 16 / 3 | 1130 | 16 / 3 | 2045 |
| Yellow | 22 / 3 | 1045 | 22 / 3 | 1830 |
| Meteorological Element | Figure of the Month | Departure from Normal* |
|---|---|---|
| Mean Daily Maximum Air Temperature | 24.5 degrees C | 2.6 degrees above normal |
| Mean Air Temperature | 21.5 degrees C | 2.0 degrees above normal |
| Mean Daily Minimum Air Temperature | 19.6 degrees C | 2.0 degrees above normal |
| Mean Dew Point Temperature | 17.4 degrees C | 1.3 degrees above normal |
| Mean Relative Humidity | 78 % | 4 % below normal |
| Mean Cloud Amount | 62 % | 15 % below normal |
| Total Rainfall | 154.4 mm | 79.1 mm above normal |
| Number of hours of Reduced VisibilityΔ | 0 hours | 86.2 hours below normal§ |
| Total Bright Sunshine Duration | 165.0 hours | 65.0 hours above normal |
| Mean Daily Global Solar Radiation | 15.06 Megajoule / square metre | 4.35 Megajoule above normal |
| Total Evaporation | 86.8 mm | 13.6 mm above 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. |
* Departure from 1991 - 2020 climatological normal, except for number of hours of reduced visibility |
|
§ Departure from mean value between 1997 and 2025 |
|
| 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 |
Extract of Meteorological Observations in Hong Kong for March 2026