A family walks under Christmas lights adorning a street in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong with a festive atmosphere at night on Dec 19, 2023. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG – Hong Kong recorded its warmest New Year’s Eve on Sunday with temperatures reaching over 25 degrees Celsius during the early afternoon at the Hong Kong Observatory.

The mercury rose to 25.7 C at 1 pm, the warmest for New Year’s Eve since records began in 1884 and breaking the old record set in 1977, the observatory said.

The temperatures were even higher in the New Territories with 30 C recorded at the Hong Kong Wetland Park, 29.3 C in Sheung Shui, 29.2 C in Tai Lung, and 29 C in Yuen Long Park

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The temperatures were even higher in the New Territories with 30 C recorded at the Hong Kong Wetland Park, 29.3 C in Sheung Shui, 29.2 C in Tai Lung, and 29 C in Yuen Long Park.

Kowloon City recorded 28.8 C, 28.4 C in Sham Shui Po and Wong Tai Sin, and 28.3 C in Tseung Kwan O. Happy Valley in Hong Kong Island saw the mercury rise to 28.8 C. The territory’s mean daily maximum temperature for December is 20.4 C, according to the observatory.

On the other hand, a surge of the northeast monsoon was expected to reach the coast of southern China on Sunday night that will affect the region in the next couple of days. The weather will be sunny, windy and slightly cooler.

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Temperatures in Hong Kong on New Year’s Day will range from 18 C to 21 C and reach a low of 15 C to 18 C on Thursday, the observatory said.