Hong Kong Weather, climate and geography

Hong Kong has a subtropical climate with four seasons, and weather strongly influenced by two monsoons: the north-northeast monsoon from October to March and the south-southwest monsoon from April to September.

Spring – from February to April – is warm and humid, with average temperatures of around 23°C (73°F). Weather is generally pleasant but the skies can be quite overcast. By summer, the humidity (around 80% is normal) and temperatures are higher. Heavy rain is a feature throughout the south-southwest monsoon, but particularly from June to August when thunderstorms are also common. Between July and September there is the risk of tropical cyclones, which come in from the South China Sea. There’s a well-organised warning system in place, whereby winds are numbered 1, 3, 8, 9 or 10 – anything rated as an 8 or above is taken very seriously and means the closure of schools and businesses.

Autumn is, certainly in terms of climate, an excellent time to visit Hong Kong. Temperatures are pleasant both day and night, and humidity also falls. There’s also less rain – average rainfall in October is 101mm (4.3 inches), compared to 328mm (12.9 inches) in September. Winter is even drier but can be surprisingly cold, particularly in the evenings: mostly between 15–20°C (59-68°F), although it can be higher than this, and sometimes the temperature dips as low as 10°C (50°F).

Overall, the best months to visit are the periods between the monsoons (March to April and October to November) when humidity is low, the skies are clear and the temperature is warm but not too hot. That said, there are plenty of indoor attractions in Hong Kong, so rain need not spoil a trip.