Hong Kong’s mean temperature reached 27.6°C in October 2026, an October record that came as the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) forecast above-normal temperatures for November across the territory.
HKO’s October summary identifies the month as the warmest October in its records. Regular observations at the Observatory’s headquarters began Jan. 1, 1884. The monthly mean was 1.9°C above the 1991-2020 October average of 25.7°C. October 2025 held the previous record at 27.4°C, according to HKO’s October 2025 monthly weather summary.
Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) and the South China Morning Post, citing HKO, reported that October 2026’s mean daily maximum was 30.5°C and its mean daily minimum was 25.8°C, both October records. In 2025, the mean daily minimum was 25.6°C, then a record, while the 29.9°C mean daily maximum ranked second in the October record. These figures are monthly averages, covering both average daytime highs and overnight lows rather than a single-day temperature peak.
RTHK reported that HKO identified El Niño and a weak northeast monsoon as factors behind the warmth, with climate change also playing a role. The South China Morning Post separately reported that the Observatory cited a persistent upper-air anticyclone over southern China.
In an assessment dated Oct. 29, HKO forecast above-normal temperatures in November. It said El Niño had developed into a very strong event, was expected to peak in November or December and was forecast to become the strongest on record since 1950.
A separate HKO bulletin issued Nov. 3 projected gradual cooling early the following week, with morning temperatures around 21°C on Nov. 10 and 11. The short-term forecast addressed specific dates, while the monthly outlook covered November as a whole.
