Hong Kong Experiences Hottest Summer: August 2023 Shatters Records

The Hong Kong Observatory reported in a government press release on Sept. 4 that August temperatures in the city reached record-breaking highs.

August 2023 marks a new peak in recorded history, with the observatory citing higher-than-normal sea surface temperatures over the northern South China Sea and unusually strong southwesterly flows over China's southern coast as primary reasons.

August's average temperature reached 29.7 degrees Celsius, marking it as the highest on record for the month.

Similarly, the mean minimum temperature touched 27.8 degrees Celsius, another record high for August. The month's mean maximum was 32.4 degrees Celsius, matching the second-highest figure ever recorded for August.

This follows exceptionally high temperatures in June and July, making this summer the hottest Hong Kong has ever experienced. From June to August, the city recorded a mean temperature of 29.7 degrees Celsius, shattering previous records.

In addition to the scorching temperatures, August saw significantly less rainfall than usual, recording only 140.7 mm – just about 31% of the typical amount. When looking at the year so far, the total rainfall from January to August amounts to 1,157.2 mm, which is roughly 40% below the average for the period.

The South China Sea and the western North Pacific region observed seven tropical cyclones in August, with the recent Typhoon Saola taking the city over with a T10 warning that was last issued in 2018 when Typhoon Mangkhut hit.

The Hong Kong Observatory continues to monitor these patterns, as they can impact both the climate and safety of the region.