Hong Kong’s weather agency has announced that last month concluded with an average temperature of 25.5°C, marking the second-highest value ever recorded for April. According to a statement released on Tuesday by the Hong Kong Observatory, the average temperature was 2.5°C above the normal figures for the fourth month of the year.
The meteorological agency noted that both the average minimum temperature (23.8°C) and the average maximum temperature (27.9°C) were significantly above average, reaching the second-highest levels since record-keeping began in 1884.
The all-time record for April remains set in 2024, when the city saw an average temperature of 26.4°C. Experts attribute this “exceptionally hot” April primarily to sea surface temperatures in the South China Sea being higher than normal.
In terms of rainfall, the month saw a total of 160.4 mm, which is approximately 5% above the April average. During the first four months of the year, Hong Kong experienced 20% more rain than usual.
Read more about this topic: March 2026 was the fourth warmest on record, says European climate report
Scientists emphasize that climate change is driving more frequent and intense extreme weather events globally. This trend was evident earlier this year; on February 16, the Observatory recorded 27.9°C, the highest temperature ever for a Lunar New Year’s Eve.
The region has also faced heightened tropical cyclone activity. In 2025, Hong Kong was affected by 12 tropical storms and typhoons, the highest annual figure since 1917.
Neighboring Macau shared this burden; the Meteorological and Geophysical Services there noted that 2025 saw the highest number of storms affecting the territory since 1974. Two of these forced the issuance of Signal 10—the highest warning level—including Super Typhoon Ragasa in September, which was the most powerful storm recorded on the planet in 2025.
Recent studies published in July 2024 suggest that typhoons in Southeast Asia are now forming closer to the coast, intensifying more rapidly, and lingering longer over land as a direct consequence of rising global temperatures.
