With the northeast monsoon over southern China being generally weaker than normal for most of the month, November 2020 was much warmer than usual in Hong Kong. The monthly mean maximum temperature of 26.4 degrees was 2.3 degrees above the normal figure, the highest on record for November. The monthly mean temperature of 23.5 degrees and the mean minimum temperature of 21.7 degrees were 1.7 degrees and 1.9 degrees above their corresponding normal figures respectively, both being the second highest on record for November. Moreover, the mean temperature of autumn from September to November 2020 in Hong Kong was 25.8 degrees, 0.8 degrees above the normal figure and the joint fourth warmest autumn on record. The month was also drier than usual with a total rainfall of 5.1 millimetres, about one-eighth of the normal figure of 37.6mm. The accumulated rainfall up to November this year was 2 393.5mm, slightly more than the normal figure of 2 371.7mm for the same period.
Dominated by a dry northeast monsoon, apart from cloudy interludes on November 3 and 8 and a few light rain patches from November 3 to 4, the weather in Hong Kong was generally fine and dry during the day on the first eight days of the month. With plenty of sunshine, the maximum temperature at the Hong Kong Observatory soared to 30.2 degrees on November 7, the highest of the month and also the hottest Winter Commences on record. Meanwhile, tropical cyclone Etau moved across the southern part of the South China Sea from November 8 to 10. Affected by the outer cloud band associated with Etau, local weather turned cloudy with a few light rain patches on the afternoon of November 9 and remained generally cloudy the next day.
Under the influence of the dry northeast monsoon, local weather was generally fine and dry during the day with slightly cooler mornings from November 11 to 12. Meanwhile, tropical cyclone Vamco moved across the central part of the South China Sea from November 12 to 15. Affected by the outer cloud band associated with Vamco, local weather became mainly cloudy with a few light rain patches from November 13 to 15. Dominated by the anticyclone aloft, the weather became sunny from November 16 to 17.
Affected by an easterly airstream, local weather became warmer with a few mist and light rain patches from November 18 to 19. Under light wind conditions, it was cloudy with coastal fog on the morning of November 20. The visibility at Waglan Island once fell below 200 metres. With the cloud layer thinning out, the weather became sunny and hot that afternoon. A surge of the northeast monsoon reached the coast of Guangdong on the morning of November 21. Locally, there was coastal fog at first. The weather turned mainly cloudy and cooler with a few rain patches on that day. While there were a few light rain patches on the morning of November 22, the weather gradually turned fine during the day.
Under the influence of a replenishment of the northeast monsoon, the weather in Hong Kong turned cooler and cloudy with a few light rain patches on November 23. The clouds gradually thinned out and local weather became generally fine and dry from November 24 to 26. Affected by another replenishment of the northeast monsoon, the weather became windier with cooler mornings towards the end of the month. The temperature at the Hong Kong Observatory dropped to a minimum of 16.4 degrees on the morning of November 30, the lowest of the month.
Four tropical cyclones occurred over the South China Sea and the western North Pacific in November 2020.
Details of issuance and cancellation of various warnings/signals in November are summarised in Table 1. Monthly meteorological figures and departures from normal for November are tabulated in Table 2.
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