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November was brighter and warmer than usual with the 216 hours of bright sunshine about 21% above the normal figure of 178.2 hours. The monthly mean relative humidity was 65%, about 5% below normal. The monthly mean temperature of 21.9 degrees was 0.5 degrees above normal, and the monthly total rainfall of 54.3 millimetres, of which 51.2 millimetres were recorded on November 3, was about 55% above normal. The accumulated rainfall since January 1 is 3057.2 millimetres, about 30% above the normal figure of 2348.2 millimetres for the same period.
Affected by a broad cloud band over southern China, the weather in Hong Kong was cloudy with a few light rain patches for the first two days of the month. The passage of a cold front on November 3 brought rainy and slightly cooler weather to the territory. It remained mainly cloudy for the ensuing four days.
Another cold front crossed the coastal areas of Guangdong on the morning of November 8 and the associated northeast monsoon brought cooler weather to Hong Kong on November 8 and 9. With further strengthening of the northeast monsoon over the south China coastal areas, cool and very dry weather prevailed over the next three days. Under the influence of a continental flow, the weather was sunny from November 13-18.
A replenishment of the northeast monsoon reached the south China coast on November 19, bringing cool and dry conditions to the territory from November 19-21. A broad cloud band covering the coastal areas of Guangdong and the northern part of the South China Sea brought cloudy weather to Hong Kong on November 22. The cloud thinned out on November 23 and it was fine and dry from November 24-26. The northeast monsoon affecting southern China intensified and brought cooler, windy and very dry weather to the territory on November 27. It was rather cool on the morning of November 28. The air temperature recorded at the Hong Kong Observatory on that day fell to a minimum of 12.5 degrees, the lowest of the month. The weather remained rather cool and very dry for the last two days of the month.
Three tropical cyclones occurred in the western North Pacific and the 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 tabulated in Table 1.2.
Ends/Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Issued at HKT 17:51
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