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November, 2005, was much warmer than normal. The mean minimum temperature of 21.4 degrees equalled the record high for November set in 1998. The monthly mean temperature of 23.0 degrees was also the fourth highest for November. The total rainfall in the month was only 1.6 millimetres, 33.5 millimetres below the normal figure. The accumulated rainfall since January 1 was 3205.0 millimetres, 47 % above the normal figure of 2187.0 millimetres for the same period.
It was mainly cloudy on the first two days of the month. Cloud dispersed on November 3 and the weather became generally fine and warm for the next nine days under the influence of a ridge of high pressure. On November 10, the visibility in the harbour dropped below 2000 metres in mist patches in the morning. The weather turned cloudy on November 13 and 14 as wind freshened from the east.
In the absence of any significant surge of the northeast monsoon, the first two weeks of the month were unseasonably warm in Hong Kong. The mean minimum temperature at the Hong Kong Observatory during the period was 24.1 degrees, a record high for November.
A cold front moved across the south China coast on the early morning of November 15 and brought some rain to the territory. The weather became cooler that night. The dry continental airstream behind the cold front cleared the sky on November 16. With the northeast monsoon prevailing over southern China, the weather in Hong Kong was fine, dry and cool in the following six days. The temperature at the Hong Kong Observatory dropped to a minimum of 15.4 degrees on November 20, the lowest in the month. The weather became hazy on November 23 and remained so until the end of the month.
Three tropical cyclones occurred in the western North Pacific and South China Sea in the month.
Details of the issuance and cancellation of various warnings/signals in the month are summarised in Table 1.1. Monthly meteorological figures and departures from normal of November are shown in Table 1.2.
Ends/Friday, December 2, 2005
Issued at HKT 12:03
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