Hong Kong’s political climate wasn’t the only thing boiling over last year: 2019 was the city’s hottest year ever, setting no fewer than 30 separate records for high temperature events, the Hong Kong Observatory announced today.
In a statement today, the Observatory said that not only was the average temperature for the whole year (24.5 celsius) the highest ever seen since record-keeping began in 1884, even the lowest temperature recorded (11.4 celsius, on Jan. 1) was the highest absolute minimum in history.
Every month, with the exception of May, saw anomalously high temperatures.
Hong Kong also saw a record high number of so-called “hot nights” (defined as having a minimum temperature above 28 celsius), with a whopping 46, as well as a record low number of “cold days” (a low of less than 12 celsius), with just one.
The city also saw the warmest autumn and mildest winter on record.
The Observatory’s statement also noted that, globally speaking, 2019 will likely be the second or third warmest year on record based on preliminary data from the World Meteorological Organization.
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