HONG KONG – The first half of 2024 was “abnormally warm” in Hong Kong, with five out of the first six months of the year hotter than usual, the Hong Kong Observatory said on Wednesday.

The observatory said in a statement that the mean minimum temperature for the first half of the year of 21.4 degrees Celsius, the mean temperature of 23.3°C, and the mean maximum temperature of 25.8°C were respectively the highest, one of the highest, and the second highest on record for the period. 

Hong Kong experienced high temperatures in the second half of June, including nine consecutive very hot days from June 20 to 28, one of the longest on record for the month, the observatory said

It said that June was also hotter than usual, with a mean temperature of 28.8°C, or 0.5 degrees above the normal of 28.3°C.

With the subtropical ridge over the western North Pacific extending westwards and covering southeastern China, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region experienced high temperatures in the second half of the month, including nine consecutive very hot days from June 20 to 28, one of the longest on record for June, the observatory said.

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On the other hand, the month was cloudier than usual, with the mean amount of cloud at 86 percent, or 9 percent above the normal of 77 percent, it added.

The observatory said the duration of bright sunshine for June was 116.3 hours, about 19 percent below the normal figure of 144.3 hours.

Despite the generally cloudier and showery conditions for the first half of June, the monthly rainfall was 281.3 millimeters, about 43 percent below the normal of 491.5 millimeters in June, the observatory said.

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The accumulated rainfall recorded in the first six months of the year was 863.4 millimeters, about 20 percent below the normal figure of 1,082.5 millimeters, it added.