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Hong Kong Weather, climate and
Geography
Weather & climate
Best time to visit:
Hong Kong has a subtropical climate with four seasons, and weather
strongly influenced by two monsoons: the north-northeast monsoon from
October to March and the south-southwest monsoon from April to
September.
Spring – from February to April – is warm and humid, with average
temperatures of around 23°C (73°F). Weather is generally pleasant but
the skies can be quite overcast. By summer, the humidity (around 80%
is normal) and temperatures are higher. Heavy rain is a feature
throughout the south-southwest monsoon, but particularly from June to
August when thunderstorms are also common. Between July and September
there is the risk of tropical cyclones, which come in from the South
China Sea. There’s a well-organised warning system in place, whereby
winds are numbered 1, 3, 8, 9 or 10 – anything rated as an 8 or above
is taken very seriously and means the closure of schools and
businesses.
Autumn is, certainly in terms of climate, an excellent time to visit
Hong Kong. Temperatures are pleasant both day and night, and humidity
also falls. There’s also less rain – average rainfall in October is
101mm (4.3 inches), compared to 328mm (12.9 inches) in September.
Winter is even drier but can be surprisingly cold, particularly in the
evenings: mostly between 15–20°C (59-68°F), although it can be higher
than this, and sometimes the temperature dips as low as 10°C (50°F).
Overall, the best months to visit are the periods between the monsoons
(March to April and October to November) when humidity is low, the
skies are clear and the temperature is warm but not too hot. That
said, there are plenty of indoor attractions in Hong Kong, so rain
need not spoil a trip.
Required clothing:
Lightweight clothing and a light raincoat are recommended during the
warmer months, while warmer clothes are useful in winter. It should be
noted that even during the hottest weather, a jacket or pullover will
be required for the sometimes fierce air conditioning indoors.
Geography
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) consists of three
main territories – Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories –
plus more than 260 smaller (and mostly uninhabited) islands, located
where the Pearl River meets the South China Sea. Both Kowloon and the
New Territories are located on the Chinese mainland, separated from
Hong Kong Island by the narrow Victoria Harbour. One of the world’s
deepest natural harbours, this has been key to Hong Kong’s economic
success.
The SAR is hilly, with land on Hong Kong Island rising to its highest
point at Victoria Peak (552m/1,811ft); in the New Territories, the
mountain of Tai Mo Shan reaches 957m (3,140ft). Much of the developed
land on Hong Kong Island, most notably the northern areas such as
Central – site of many of the city’s best-known skyscrapers – is the
product of reclamation projects. The same can be said of much of
Kowloon on the other side of the harbour. The combination of hills and
developed lowlands means that very little of the land within Hong Kong
(only around 6% of the 1104 sq km/ 426 sq miles) is used for
agriculture.
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