Hong Kong is set to have a chilly Chinese New Year as the observatory expects the mercury to fall to 11 degrees Celsius the day before the city’s biggest holiday. It will also be very dry during the day, with humidity levels ranging from 30%-65%. This is due to an “intense winter monsoon” that will reach southern China over the weekend.

Cold, fine & dry weather on Lunar New Year’s Eve

On this year’s Lunar New Year’s Eve, which falls on January 28, 2025, the Hong Kong Observatory expects a low of 11 degrees and a maximum temperature of 16 degrees, similar to last year’s predictions. The city’s local weather forecaster also said it will be cold in the morning and very dry during the day thanks to the winter monsoon that will bring fine and dry weather to coastal areas of southern China in the first half of next week.

hong kong weather forecast january 20-28, 2025
Hong Kong weather forecast for January 20-28, 2025 (© Hong Kong Observatory)

However, according to observatory records, it will likely not be the coldest Lunar New Year’s Eve in the city’s history — that distinction goes to February 16, 1950, when the mercury plummeted to 6.9 degrees. Over the past 30-odd years, the normal minimum temperature for this day has been 14.4 degrees. The warmest-ever Chinese New Year’s Eve was on February 13, 1953, when the city sweltered under a 27.8-degree high.

Coldest Chinese New Year in Hong Kong

The coldest Chinese New Year in Hong Kong was February 17, 1950, when the lowest temperature recorded was 5.8 degrees. The hottest was February 18, 2007, with a high of 25.3 degrees — way above the 30-year normal of 18.6 degrees. The coldest day in Hong Kong was January 18, 1893, when the Observatory’s air temperature touched 0.0 degrees.

incense lighting wong tai sin temple
One of the biggest events in Hong Kong on Lunar New Year’s Eve is the first incense offering at Wong Tai Sin Temple (© dale de la Rey via Flickr)

Recently, the city’s weather forecaster released a report stating that 2024 was the hottest year in Hong Kong, with record-breaking highs in April and October, less rainfall, and fewer cold days than normal. The year’s highest temperature of 35.7 degrees was logged on September 17 — just 0.2 degrees lower than the all-time high of 35.9 degrees in 2022.

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Image credits: dale de la Rey via Flickr

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From the Middle East to the Far East and a couple of places in between, Anjali has lived in no fewer than seven cities in Asia, and has travelled extensively in the region. She worked as a lifestyle journalist in India before coming to Hong Kong, where her favourite thing to do is island-hopping with her daughter. You can check out her musings on motherhood, courtesy her Instagram profile.