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Globally, 2006 was the sixth warmest year on record. In Hong Kong, it was the eighth warmest year since records began in 1884. The annual mean temperature of 23.5 degrees was 0.5 degree higher than normal. With the northeast monsoon weaker than normal over China, the monthly mean temperatures of October 2006 (26.4 degrees) equalled the record for October set in 1983, while that of November, 2006, (23.3 degrees) broke the November record (23.2 degrees set in 1998).
It was also a wet 2006. The annual rainfall of 2627.8 millimetres was about 19% above normal. The extra rainfall was mainly due to an active trough of low pressure over the South China Coast in May, the combined effect of an active southwesterly and Severe Tropical Storm Bilis in July and a tropical depression in September.
In 2006, a total of 26 tropical cyclones formed over the western North Pacific and the South China Sea, while one tropical cyclone formed over the central part of the North Pacific and crossed the International Date Line into the western North Pacific. In the past nine years, with the exception of 2004, the annual number of tropical cyclones in this ocean basin has been less than the annual average of 31. Seven tropical cyclones affected Hong Kong in 2006, which was near normal.
January was slightly warmer than usual.
The warmer weather continued into February. Due to the abundance of sunshine, the mean temperature of 17.7 degrees was 1.8 degrees above normal and ranked the 10th highest for February.
March was marked by low visibility, humid weather and rapidly fluctuating temperatures.
April was wetter than usual. Heavy rain and thunderstorms buffeted the territory on April 24 when a trough of low pressure move south across the south China coast. The Black Rainstorm Warning was issued for the first time in the year.
May continued to be wetter than normal. An active trough of low pressure brought heavy rain to the territory on May 2 and 3.
June was dominated by cloudy and rainy weather. A squall line swept across Hong Kong on the night of June 9, bringing heavy rain and severe squalls. Peak gusts of 77 and 101 kilometres per hour were recorded at Central and Shek Kwu Chau respectively. About 20 trees were blown down at Ap Lei Chau.
Under the influence of an active southwest monsoon, the weather remained unsettled with heavy rain and severe thunderstorms in July. The torrential rain on July 16 necessitated the issuance of the second Black Rainstorm Warning of the year. In the early morning of that day, 115.1 millimetres of rainfall was registered at the Hong Kong Observatory Headquarters between 2am and 3am, breaking the hourly rainfall record of 109.9 millimetres set on May 8, 1992.
In contrast to the previous four months, August was drier than usual.
September was cooler and wetter than usual.
October and November were much warmer than normal.
December was also warmer than normal.
Ends/Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Issued at HKT 16:49
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