Hong Kong is on track to swelter through its hottest Lunar New Year’s Eve on record, with forecasters predicting temperatures will climb to 28 degrees Celsius (82.4 Fahrenheit) on Monday, surpassing the previous benchmark set over seven decades ago.
The Hong Kong Observatory, which has meticulously tracked climate data since 1884, anticipates daytime highs ranging between 22 and 28 degrees Celsius across the city. This forecast positions Monday’s expected peak as a new milestone, eclipsing the prior record of 27.8 degrees established in 1953.
Early indications already hinted at an unusually balmy holiday eve. At 8.30am on Monday, the Observatory recorded a minimum temperature of 22 degrees—the highest ever logged for a Lunar New Year’s Eve—setting the stage for what could be a day of exceptional warmth.
“It will be hot during the day, with a maximum temperature of around 28 degrees in urban areas and a couple of degrees higher in the New Territories,” the Observatory stated in its update. The New Territories, Hong Kong’s more rural northern districts, are thus bracing for even toastier conditions than the bustling urban core.
This unusual heat for the traditionally cooler Lunar New Year period comes amid light precipitation prospects. Forecasters noted that “one or two light rain patches are expected tonight,” offering scant relief from the daytime scorch as celebrations unfold.
The Observatory’s long-standing records since 1884 underscore the significance of Monday’s forecast, highlighting how this Lunar New Year’s Eve could etch itself into Hong Kong’s climatic history alongside the 1953 high.
