Macau recorded its warmest October since 1952, with both the monthly average temperature and average minimum temperature reaching new highs, while the Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG) yesterday forecast several days of cloudy skies and showers before a northeast monsoon brings cooler conditions over the weekend.
The local observatory said that October’s average temperature was 26.6 degrees Celsius, 1.5 degrees above the climatological average, the statement said, adding that the monthly average minimum temperature reached 24.4 degrees, 1.7 degrees above the average.
The statement said that it was the highest temperatures recorded for October since records began in 1952, against a backdrop of global warming and an exceptionally strong El Niño event*.
A very strong or “super” El Niño is underway, according to a statement by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) in June. It is projected to peak between late this year and early next year, with a high probability of ranking among the strongest weather events recorded since 1950.
The local observatory attributed the warmer conditions to a weaker-than-usual northeast monsoon affecting Macau last month, together with the influence of an upper-level anticyclone, the statement said.
For the next two to three days, an easterly airflow is expected to affect the coast of southern China, bringing mostly cloudy skies and a few showers to Macau, yesterday’s statement said, adding that residents are advised to monitor weather updates and carry umbrellas when going out.
A northeast monsoon is forecast to reach the Guangdong coast over the weekend, bringing stronger winds and a drop in temperature, the statement noted, underlining that the daytime heat is expected to ease, while mornings and evenings will become cooler.
The observatory said that the minimum temperature next Tuesday could fall to around 19 degrees Celsius. Residents, particularly older people, young children and those in poor health, are advised to wear an extra light jacket when going out early or returning home late, the statement noted.
*El Niño is a natural climate pattern where trade winds in the tropical Pacific Ocean weaken or reverse, causing unusually warm water to build up in the central and eastern Pacific. The term El Niño comes from Spanish, translating literally to “the little boy” or “the newborn Christ Child”. “La Niña” is the direct counterpart to El Niño. Translating to “the little girl,” it represents the periodic cooling of ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific. – Gemini
This infographic provided by the local observatory yesterday shows its October climate summary. Translation from Portuguese was arranged by the Post.
