46 h. ago Hong Kong temperatures to fall to 12 degrees next week as winter monsoon arrives

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. Temperatures in Hong Kong are expected to sharply dip to as low as 12 degrees Celsius (53.6 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday next week as a cold front moves through the city midweek. The Hong Kong Observatory said the fine and relatively warm weather on Friday, brought by a dry northeast monsoon,...

Politics

60 h. ago Kremlin warns Ukraine running out of time to accept peace terms as winter crisis deepens

The Kremlin said on Thursday that Ukraine was running out of options to strike a deal to end almost four years of war with Russia, as thousands were without heating in Kyiv in -12 degrees Celsius (10 degrees Fahrenheit) temperatures following waves of Russian strikes on the country’s energy grid. Moscow has not backed down from its intention to seize the rest of east Ukraine as the fourth anniversary of its offensive – Europe’s worst war since World War II – looms. “The situation is...

Events

7 d. ago Australia declares state of disaster as bushfires rip through Victoria: ‘leave, go’

Authorities in Australia declared a state of disaster on Saturday after bushfires destroyed houses and razed vast belts of forest in the country’s southeast. Temperatures soared past 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) as a heatwave blanketed the state of Victoria this week, with hot winds fanning some of the most dangerous fire weather since the “Black Summer” bushfires of 2019 to 2020. One of the most destructive bushfires ripped through almost 150,000 hectares (370,000 acres) near...

Events

8 d. ago Cold snap deepens as Hong Kong temperatures plunge to 2 degrees

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. Temperatures in many areas of Hong Kong dropped to single digits on Friday morning, with some reaching 2 to 3 degrees Celsius (35.6 to 37.4 Fahrenheit), according to the city’s weather forecaster. The Hong Kong Observatory said that at 7am, Ta Kwu Ling in the New Territories recorded a low...

Politics

9 d. ago Hongkongers shiver as winter monsoon drives temperatures down to 5.9 degrees

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. A winter chill lingered over Hong Kong on Thursday morning, with temperatures dropping to 12 degrees Celsius across the city and to as low as 5.9 degrees in some northern districts under clear skies and significant radiative cooling. The Hong Kong Observatory recorded minimum temperatures...

Politics

1 week ago Temperature in Hong Kong hits 10.9 degrees Celsius, lowest so far this winter

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. The Hong Kong Observatory reported a minimum temperature of 10.9 degrees Celsius (51.6 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday morning, the lowest so far this winter. Due to the ongoing influence of the winter monsoon, residents can expect cold mornings from Wednesday to Friday, according to the weather...

Events

1 week ago Frost expected on Thursday as Hong Kong temperatures dip amid winter monsoon

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. Frost may form on the ground in parts of Hong Kong’s New Territories on Thursday morning, the weather forecaster has said, after the city recorded its lowest temperature so far this winter. The temperature on Wednesday morning fell to 10.9 degrees Celsius (51.6 degrees Fahrenheit) due to a...

Politics

1 week ago Hong Kong think tank backs call to make bid‑rigging a crime after fatal fire

Hong Kong should make bid-rigging a crime in the wake of the city’s deadliest fire in decades, a local think tank has urged, echoing a similar call from the city’s barristers. The proposal by the POD Research Institute came after the Hong Kong Bar Association formed a task force to review existing legislation following the deadly fire in Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court, which tore through seven of the eight blocks under maintenance in November. The blaze, which killed at least 161 people and displaced...

Events

1 week ago Winter monsoon to push Hong Kong temperatures to 11 degrees in coming days

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. Hong Kong will experience cooler weather over the next couple of days, with temperatures set to fall to as low as 11 degrees Celsius (51.8 Fahrenheit) under the influence of a winter monsoon and a widening gap in daily readings. Senior scientific officer Tong Yu-fai of the Hong Kong...

Politics

1 week ago Winter monsoon to push Hong Kong temperatures to 10 degrees in coming days

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. Hong Kong will experience cooler weather over the next couple of days, with temperatures set to fall to as low as 10 degrees Celsius (50 Fahrenheit) under the influence of a winter monsoon and a widening gap in daily readings. “Under the persistent influence of the winter monsoon, it will...

Politics

1 week ago Hong Kong issues cold weather warning as temperatures set to dip to 11 degrees

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. The Hong Kong Observatory has issued its second cold weather warning of 2026, saying temperatures will drop to around 12 degrees Celsius (53.6 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday and lower in rural areas. The forecaster also said the cold weather would persist for a few days as it issued the warning at...

Events

1 week ago Hong Kong temperatures to dip to 12 degrees Celsius as northeasterly monsoon arrives

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. Temperatures in Hong Kong are expected to drop to as low as 12 degrees Celsius (53.6 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday due to an incoming northeasterly monsoon, according to the city’s weather forecaster. The Hong Kong Observatory said temperatures on Sunday ranged from 14 to 19 degrees Celsius,...

Politics

1 week ago Temperatures in Hong Kong to dip to 12 degrees as northeasterly monsoon arrives

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. Temperatures in Hong Kong are expected to drop to as low as 12 degrees Celsius (53.6 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday due to an incoming northeasterly monsoon, according to the local forecaster. The Hong Kong Observatory said temperatures on Sunday ranged from 14 to 19 degrees, while a fresh surge...

Politics

2 w. ago Hongkongers urged to get flu vaccinations as city braces for winter virus wave

Hong Kong health authorities have urged the public to get the latest seasonal influenza vaccine ahead of the next virus wave, as temperatures in the city dropped to their lowest so far this winter. The Centre for Health Protection’s appeal on Saturday coincided with similar calls by an infectious disease specialist, who expressed concerns over the low vaccination rates in the population. The warnings came as the mercury at the Hong Kong Observatory dropped to as low as 11.4 degrees Celsius (52.5...

Science

2 w. ago Temperature in Hong Kong falls to 11.4 degrees Celsius, the lowest this winter

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. The temperature in Hong Kong fell to 11.4 degrees Celsius (52.5 Fahrenheit) on Saturday morning, the lowest so far this winter, according to the city’s weather forecaster. The Hong Kong Observatory also warned that sea levels at local coastal areas during high tide on Saturday night would...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong wakes up to coldest morning so far this winter at 12.9 degrees Celsius

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. Hong Kong experienced its coldest morning so far this winter on Friday, with temperatures dropping to 12.9 degrees Celsius. The city’s first cold weather warning of the season remained in force on the first working day of 2026, according to the Hong Kong Observatory. “Temperatures over...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong wakes up to coldest morning so far this winter at 12.9 degrees

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. Hong Kong on Friday experienced its coldest morning so far this winter, with temperatures dropping to 12.9 degrees Celsius (55.22 Fahrenheit). The Observatory said the city’s first cold weather warning of the season had remained in force for the first working day of 2026. The warning was...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong issues first cold weather warning as temperature to fall to 12 degrees

Hong Kong’s forecaster has issued its first cold weather warning of the season on New Year’s Day as temperatures are expected to fall to a low of 12 degrees Celsius (53.6 Fahrenheit) in urban areas on Friday. The Hong Kong Observatory issued the warning at 4.20pm on Thursday and said a cold front moving across the coastal areas of Guangdong would bring cooler weather to the city in the coming days. Minimum temperatures in urban areas are forecast to be around 12 degrees on Friday and a couple of...

Events

2 w. ago In the Gobi Desert, China is powering up the world’s largest ‘super

In the Gobi Desert outside Golmud in the northwestern province of Qinghai, a row of white tanks stands tall in the open wilderness. Inside, air is compressed and cooled to -194 degrees Celsius (-317 Fahrenheit), and then it becomes liquid. When released, it expands by more than 750 times, drives turbines and generates electricity. This is the world’s largest liquid-air energy storage plant. Also known as the Super Air Power Bank, it is built by China Green Development Investment Group and...

Politics

3 w. ago Chill to deepen on Boxing Day as Hongkongers wake up to cold Christmas

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. Hongkongers woke up to a cold Christmas Day, but the weather is expected to get even colder on Boxing Day, with temperatures set to drop further to 13 degrees Celsius (55.4 Fahrenheit). The Hong Kong Observatory said on Thursday that the city was “appreciably cooler” under the influence of...

Politics