Hong Kong's climate
AdvancedHong Kong has a subtropical monsoon climate: hot and humid summers, cool and dry winters, a mean of about 23°C and about 2400 mm of rain a year — plus typhoons in summer and autumn.
- Hong Kong = subtropical monsoon climate
- Wet summers, dry winters — the monsoon reverses
- Typhoon season in summer/autumn; stay home at No. 8
§Text Passage
1Hong Kong has a subtropical monsoon climate: hot, humid summers and cool, dry winters, with about 2,400 mm of rain a year, over 80% of it falling between May and September. Using temperature line graphs and rainfall bar charts, this lesson teaches you to read Hong Kong's climate data and connect it to the monsoons.
2The cause is mainly the monsoon winds. In summer the southerly monsoon carries warm, moist air from the sea, making the season hot and humid; in winter the northeasterly monsoon blows in from the inland, bringing cool, dry air. Add typhoons arriving in summer and autumn, and rainfall becomes highly concentrated within just half a year.
3The data tells a story: the Observatory's 30-year climate normals give July an average of about 29°C and January about 16°C, an annual range of roughly 13 degrees. The great drought of 1963 forced water rationing, while Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018 caused staggering damage — extreme weather is very much part of Hong Kong's climate.
1Summary 重點摘要
Hong Kong has a subtropical monsoon climate: hot and humid summers, cool and dry winters, a mean of about 23°C and about 2400 mm of rain a year — plus typhoons in summer and autumn.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
Hong Kong's climate type: hot humid summers, cool dry winters.
Winds that reverse with the seasons: sea to land in summer, land to sea in winter.
A strong tropical cyclone that may hit Hong Kong in summer and autumn.
The Observatory's typhoon warning signals: 1, 3, 8, 9 and 10.
About 2400 mm in Hong Kong; around 80% falls from May to September.
A line graph joining each month's mean temperature.
A bar chart showing each month's rainfall by bar height.
The 30-year average of weather records used to describe a place's climate.
3Step by step Steps
- Hong Kong's climate cardHong Kong has a subtropical monsoon climate: summers are hot and humid at about 26–31°C, winters cool and dry at about 15–20°C, the annual mean is about 23°C, and yearly rainfall is about 2400 mm. The rain bunches into the summer half of the year, so winter and summer contrast sharply. When describing Hong Kong's climate, cover both temperature and rainfall, and bring out the differences between the seasons.
- Monsoon reversesThe monsoon, reversing with the seasons, is the chief architect of Hong Kong's climate. Summer winds blow from sea to land, warm and moist, carrying heavy rain; the winter northeast monsoon flows out from the inland, dry and light on rain. Hence about 80% of Hong Kong's rain falls from May to September, with distinct wet and dry seasons. Remember 'sea in summer, land in winter' and you can explain both the wet summers and the cool dry winters.
- Watch the typhoon seasonJuly to September is the peak of the typhoon season. The Observatory issues tropical cyclone warning signals from No. 1 to No. 10 according to wind strength; at No. 8 or above, schools close and most trades stop work. Stay indoors in a safe place, away from windows, scaffolding and the shore, and never go out to watch the waves. The fierce wind and rain of typhoons are an unignorable part of Hong Kong's summer climate, so a habit of preparedness is essential.
- Read the normalsThe Observatory's thirty-year climate normals put July at about 29°C and January at about 16°C — an annual range of about 13 degrees, mild by any standard. Yet extreme weather is part of the picture too: the great drought of 1963 forced water rationing, at its worst four hours of supply every four days, and Super Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018 wrought astonishing damage. Study the averages and the extremes together, and the picture of Hong Kong's climate is complete.
- Reading a climograph in three stepsA climograph draws the temperature line and the rainfall bars on one chart, and it is read in three steps. First the line: find the hottest and coldest months and work out the annual range — Hong Kong runs about 29°C in July and 16°C in January, a range of about 13 degrees. Next the bars: find the wet season and the driest months — Hong Kong's wet season is May to September. Finally combine the two into one summary, such as 'hot, rainy summers; cool, much drier winters'.
- One city, different temperaturesNot every corner of Hong Kong is equally warm: inland Ta Kwu Ling and Sheung Shui in the New Territories lie far from the sea, radiate heat strongly on winter nights, and run several degrees below the urban areas, occasionally nearing frost. The dense high-rises of the city store heat by day and release it slowly at night — the urban heat island — so the city stays warmer. When comparing temperatures, check first whether the station is urban or inland, and the differences within one city can be explained.
4Diagrams Diagrams
5Worked example Example
Example: why is Hong Kong rainy in summer but dry in winter?
- Summer southeast/southwest monsoon blows sea-to-land, carrying moisture
- Warm humid air rises easily → convectional rain; typhoons add heavy rain
- Winter northeast monsoon blows from inland — dry
- Conclude: the monsoon reverses with the seasons, so summers are wet and winters dry
- Answer: Because the monsoon reverses with the seasons. The summer monsoon blows sea-to-land laden with moisture, and the hot ground lifts the air into convection — convectional and typhoon rain both fall, so summers are hot and wet. The winter northeast monsoon arrives dry from the inland, so winters are cool and dry. Compare the two seasons' wind direction and moisture source in exams.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1What climate type does Hong Kong have?
Q2Which monsoon blows in Hong Kong's winter, and how does it feel?
Q3About how much rain does Hong Kong get yearly, and when does most of it fall?
Q4How are temperature and rainfall shown on a climograph?
Q5What is Hong Kong's annual temperature range, and how is it found?
8Recap Recap
- Hong Kong = subtropical monsoon climate
- Wet summers, dry winters — the monsoon reverses
- Typhoon season in summer/autumn; stay home at No. 8
- About 2400 mm a year, with roughly 80% falling from May to September
- Extremes like the 1963 drought and Typhoon Mangkhut (2018) are part of the climate too