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An unseasonably warm and sunny February
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     With the northeast monsoon over southern China being generally weaker than normal for most of the time in the month, February 2021 was much warmer and sunnier than usual in Hong Kong. The monthly mean maximum temperature of 23.5 degrees, the monthly mean temperature of 19.8 degrees and the monthly mean minimum temperature of 17.5 degrees were 4.1 degrees, 2.7 degrees and 2.2 degrees above their corresponding normal figures respectively (or 4.6 degrees, 3.0 degrees and 2.5 degrees above their corresponding 1981-2010 normal figures respectively), making them the second, the third and the fourth highest on record for February. The total sunshine duration in the month was 205.1 hours, more than twice the normal of 101.7 hours (or 110.9 hours above the 1981-2010 normal of 94.2 hours), making it the fourth highest on record for February. Mainly attributing to the exceptionally warm and sunny weather in February 2021, the winter in Hong Kong from December 2020 to February 2021 was warmer than usual. The mean temperature of 18.0 degrees was one of the joint seventh highest on record for the same period. The monthly rainfall was 62.1 millimetres, about 60 per cent above the normal of 38.9 mm (or about 14 per cent above the 1981-2010 normal of 54.4 mm) in February. The accumulated rainfall recorded in the first two months of the year was 62.1 mm, a decrease of about 14 per cent compared to the normal of 71.9 mm (or about 21 per cent below the 1981-2010 normal of 78.9 mm) for the same period.
      
     The weather of Hong Kong was fine and warm during the day on the first two days of the month. With plenty of sunshine, the temperature at the Hong Kong Observatory soared to a maximum of 27.6 degrees on the afternoon of February 2, the highest of the month. With a surge of the northeast monsoon arriving in that evening, local weather became windier and slightly cooler later that day, and the weather remained so on the next day. Affected by a dry northeast monsoon, it was generally fine, warm and dry during the day from February 4 to 7. 
      
     Under the influence of a strong easterly airstream, the weather of Hong Kong turned cloudier from February 8 to 9. Affected by an upper-air disturbance and the associated rainband, local weather was cloudy with rain and cooler on February 10. More than 30 mm of rainfall were generally recorded over the territory on that day. The weather remained cloudy and cool on February 11 with the temperature at the Hong Kong Observatory falling to a minimum of 15.3 degrees in the morning, the lowest of the month. 
      
     Under the influence of a dry northeast monsoon, the weather of Hong Kong turned fine with a cool morning on February 12, the first day of the Lunar New Year. Generally fine weather with warm daytimes persisted over the territory from February 13 to 23. 
      
     With a fresh easterly airstream affecting the coast of Guangdong and a cloud band covering the northern part of the South China Sea, the weather of Hong Kong turned mainly cloudy on February 24. There were a few rain patches on February 25. It was warm with sunny intervals during the day on February 26. A cold front moved across the coast of Guangdong that night and brought rainy weather to the territory. Under the influence of the northeast monsoon, local weather became cooler on February 27 with some rain in the morning. The weather remained mainly cloudy on the last day of the month.

     One tropical cyclone occurred over the South China Sea and the western North Pacific in February 2021.
      
     Details of the issuance and cancellation of various warnings/signals in February are summarised in Table 1. Monthly meteorological figures and departures from normal for February are tabulated in Table 2.  
 
Ends/Tuesday, March 2, 2021
Issued at HKT 15:52
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