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June 2016 was characterised by rainy weather during the first part of the month and persistent very hot weather in the latter part. Overall, the month was exceptionally hot. The monthly mean temperature was 29.4 degrees, 1.5 degrees higher than the normal figure of 27.9 degrees, making it the second hottest June on record. The monthly mean maximum temperature of 32.4 degrees and minimum temperature of 27.5 degrees were respectively the highest and the second highest for June. Despite several heavy rain episodes in the first half of the month, the monthly total rainfall was only 347.4 millimetres, about 24 per cent below the normal figure of 456.1 millimetres. The accumulated rainfall for the first half of the year was 1232.8 millimetres, about 12 per cent above the normal figure of 1096.9 millimetres for the same period.
After a mainly fine and very hot start on the first four days of the month, the weather turned cloudy with thundery showers later on June 4 as a trough of low pressure over southern China edged towards the coast of Guangdong. The trough continued to linger over the coastal areas, and local weather remained unsettled over the next two weeks. During the period, outbreaks of heavy rain on June 6 and 11 brought daily rainfall of more than 70 millimetres to most parts of the territory. Another episode of heavy rain brought more than 50 millimetres of rainfall to Hong Kong Island on June 8, and the temperature at the Hong Kong Observatory dropped to 24.1 degrees in the early morning that day, which was the lowest temperature of the month. The strengthening of the southwest monsoon on June 12 brought windier conditions in the next three days and showery weather with thunderstorms continued to affect Hong Kong till June 18.
With the weakening of the trough and the establishment of the subtropical ridge over southern China, the weather turned sunny and very hot on June 19, while the territory was affected by a heat wave which lasted for nine days. Under light wind conditions and prolonged sunshine, daily maximum temperatures at the Hong Kong Observatory soared above 35 degrees for four consecutive days from June 24 to 27, breaking the previous record of three consecutive days from May 30 to June 1 in 1963. The highest temperature of the month of 35.5 degrees was recorded on June 25, which was the second highest temperature in June since records began in 1884.
Affected by showers and thunderstorms associated with an area of low pressure moving across the coast of Guangdong, the very hot spell in Hong Kong finally ended on June 28. Under the influence of a southerly airstream, local weather remained hot and showery towards the end of the month.
There was no tropical cyclone over the South China Sea or the western North Pacific in the month.
Details of issuance and cancellation of various warnings/signals in the month are summarised in Table 1. Monthly meteorological figures and departures from normal for June are tabulated in Table 2.
Ends/Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Issued at HKT 16:55
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