Hong Kong is humid and warm or hot most of the year. January and February are usually gray, chilly and damp, with temperatures dipping below 10°C (50°F) for six to eight weeks.

March brings warmer but damper weather, and mist, fog and rain.

Although it becomes progressively warmer during the spring, long periods of rain and generally disagreeable weather may persist until mid-June.

Hot weather (30-34°C., 88-95°F.) begins in earnest in June. Daytime temperatures remain in the low to mid -30s - with humidity in the 80-90% range - until late September, the start of the best season of the year.

The fall brings warm, relatively dry days and clear skies (temperatures in the mid-20s C.)
and pleasant, cool evening. This may continue through December or even early January.

Few apartments have central heating. Most families get by with electric space heaters, oil-filled electric radiators, "reverse-cycle" air conditioners - or heavy sweaters.

TYPHOONS: In an average year, five or six typhoons may approach near enough to cause Hong Kong to close down and secure everything.

About once every four of five years one comes close enough to cause moderate to heavy damage. The last direct hit was Typhoon York in September 1999.

Although typhoons are not to be taken lightly most modern residential and office buildings in Hong Kong are built to weather them. However, there is still substantial flooding and landslides during typhoons (by definition, they pack winds above 118 km/h).

The lesser varieties of storms:

Tropical Depressions (winds up to 62 km/h)
Tropical Storms (63-87 km/h)
Severe Tropical Storms (88-117 km/h).

Sophisticated weather tracking systems allow the Hong Kong Observatory (the weather bureau) to follow the course of storms and issue frequent storm bulletins.

Stay indoors and listen to the warnings which are broadcast on radio and TV stations.

The No.1 standby signal is raised when a tropical storm or typhoon is within 800 kms. (400 nautical mi.) and may affect Hong Kong.

As the storm moves closer and winds threaten to become stronger, the No.3 signal is raised. (There is no No. 2 signal.)

This is followed by the No.8 signal (signals 5, 6 and 7 have also been eliminated), and at this point offices and factories shut down, and public transportation begins to be curtailed.

When the No.10 signal is raised, you know you're about to experience the blow of your life. Typhoon Wanda in 1962 had wind speeds of 133 km/h (82.5 mph) with gusts up to 259 km/h (160.5 mph)!

RAINSTORM WARNINGS:The difference between the typhoon and the rainstorm warnings is wind. But just because there is no wind, does not Hong Kong cannot get hammered with floods and landslides due to heavy rain.

The red warning means heavy rain has started to fall at the rate of 50 mm/h.

The black warning means 100 mm/h. When the black warning goes up, try to stay put or head back to your hotel.