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MONDAY, JULY 19, 1976
THE LOWEST TEMPERATURES IN HONG KONG, ARE ALSO NOT VERY LOW BY WORLD STANDARDS.
THE RECORD TAKEN ON JANUARY 18, 1893, STANDS AT O DEGREE CELSIUS, WHILE A STRIKING -88.3 DEGREES CELSIUS HAS BEEN RECORDED IN ANTARCTICA.
THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE RECORDED AT PLACES OTHER THAN THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY IS -3 DEGREES CELSIUS. IT WAS TAKEN ON TAI MO SHAN ON FEBRUARY 8, 1974.
ALTHOUGH HONG KONG'S WEATHER IS NOT REALLY COLD BY WORLD STANDARDS, PEOPLE STILL FEEL QUITE COLD IN WINTER BECAUSE BUILDINGS HERE WERE GENERALLY DESIGNED TO BE WELL VENTILATED AND COOL IN SUMMER AND ARE THEREFORE NOT EASILY HEATED IN WINTER. ALSO THE COLDEST WEATHER IN HONG KONG OFTEN ARRIVES RATHER SUDDENLY BEFORE PEOPLE HAVE TIME TO BECOME ACCLIMATIZED.
THE COLDEST PLACE IN HONG KONG IS OFTEN THE TOP OF TAI MO SHAN AT A HEIGHT OF 958 METRES.
HOWEVER, LOWER TEMPERATURES ARE RECORDED MORE FREQUENTLY BY TATE'S CAIRN RADAR STATION AT A HEIGHT OF 575 METRES. THE REASON FOR THIS IS THAT THE WINTER MONSOON USUALLY RESULTS IN TEMPERATURE INVERSION SO THAT THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE DOES NOT USUALLY OCCUR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL.
IN WINTER, PHENOMENA SUCH AS FROST, RIME AND SNOW APPEAR BUT THEY ARE GENERALLY LOCAL AND DO NOT LAST LONG, SNOW AND SLEET HAVE ALSO BEEN REPORTED FROM TIME TO TIME.
COLD SPELLS HAVE OFTEN CAUSED THE DEATH OF POULTRY AND POND FISH AND DAMAGE TO PLANTS AND VEGETABLES.
SINCE RECORDS BEGAN IN 1884, THE MEAN MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY HAVE INCREASED BY ABOUT 1.5 DEGREES CELSIUS AND THE MEAN MINIMUM TEMPERATURES BY ABOUT 0.75 DEGREE CELSIUS.
THE INCREASE IN MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES IS MOSTLY DUE TO DECREASE IN VENTILATION AS A LARGE NUMBER OF TALL BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN ERECTED AROUND THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY.
THE INCREASE IN MINIMUM TEMPERATURES CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO A COMBINATION OF FACTORS, INCLUDING ARTIFICIAL HEATING FROM INDUSTRY AND AIR-CONDITIONERS TOGETHER WITH RADIATIVE EFFECTS.
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