Mercury heads south in Hong Kong with low of six degrees Celsius forecast for next week
Intense cold surge from north is good news for clothing stores, though chance of snow is low
Temperatures will drop to as low as six degrees Celsius early next week, even as clothing stores see their sales figures rising, all thanks to an intense cold surge from the north.
In its nine-day weather forecast updated this morning, the Observatory expected the mercury will dip to seven degrees on Sunday and drop further to six degrees the next day.
“It will be windy and very cold over the region this weekend and early next week,” the Observatory said.
Weather information website weather-forecast.com, which makes automated forecasts based on modelling data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and the US-based Global Forecast System, expects temperatures in Hong Kong to be even lower.
It expects four degrees on Saturday evening, and three degrees on Sunday and on Monday morning.
READ MORE: ‘Intense’ polar vortex could bring ice storm to New Territories: chill running through Hong Kong expected to last a week
The cold spell has been a godsend for clothing retailers who have weathered sluggish sales due to the warmer-than-usual temperatures over the past two months.
“We have seen our sales jump by more than half over these few days, just after the Observatory said there would be a drop in temperature,” said Bowie Lui, a sales staff member at a sportswear shop on Hennessy Road where down jackets of various designs take up a third of the shop space.
“We are placing more orders now to ensure that they don’t sell out,” Lui said.
While many customers are making purchases in preparation for the coming chilly days in the city, others are buying the warm clothing as gifts for friends and relatives overseas who are also facing a historically freezing winter, Lui added.
Man Ng, a sales manager with another sportswear shop, Nikko, said the number of customers had soared by 30 per cent this week.
“No doubt business is faring better thanks to the weather,” Ng said.”It’s a good time as, ahead of the Chinese New Year, many people are busy packing for their trips overseas, where it may be even colder.”
READ MORE: Snow in Hong Kong? City facing big chill but internet rumours could be flaky
Weather officials earlier dismissed internet speculation of snow this weekend and early next week saying the chance is very low.
The Observatory however said there is a chance of ice or frost on high ground and in the New Territories where temperatures will be several degrees lower.
The weather would become cold on Friday when an intense cold surge spreads southwards and reached Guangdong coasts, according to its forecast.
The minimum temperature recorded in the city on Thursday was 15 degrees and was expected to go down to 11 degrees on Friday, when a few patches of rain and mist were also expected.
Hong Kong recorded the warmest November since records began in 1884 – with a mean temperature of 24 degrees, 2.2 degrees above normal.
Locals also experienced an unseasonably warm December when temperatures were at least a degree above normal.
