Hong Kong marks the highest March temperature in 140 years
31.5C (88.7F) is the highest recorded temperature in March since records began in 1884. It jumped to 32C in the northern parts of the territory near the city of Shenzhen on the Chinese mainland,.
In late March, the observatory warned that the city is expected to experience above-normal temperatures this year, "with a high chance of reaching the top 10 warmest on record." Climate change has caused extreme heat and an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events around the world, according to bloomberg.com.
The observatory's January report said that last year Hong Kong had its hottest summer on record, with an average temperature of 29.7°C between June and August. All 12 months of 2023 were warmer than usual. The city reported a quarter of its usual annual rainfall total for the 24 hours ending at 4 p.m. on September 7 during a black rainstorm, slightly less than the record amount in May 1889.