Hong Kong Island in Winter
In winter (December, January and February), Hong Kong Island sees average daytime highs around 19°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 107 mm of rain over about 18 wet days across the season. It is the coldest season of the year and the driest season of the year.
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 19°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 38% of the time across winter, and the air most often feels dry.
Winter is Hong Kong Island's best season of the year to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Hong Kong Island's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 19°C
- coldest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- 16°C
- Rainfall
- 107 mm
- 18 wet days
- Avg wind
- 19 km/h
- Travel score
- 6.7
- best season of the year
- Months
- Dec · Jan · Feb
Temperature in Hong Kong Island in Winter
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 19°C.
A typical winter day in Hong Kong Island reaches about 19°C and drops to 16°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is December, the coolest January.
How winter really feels in Hong Kong Island
Once humidity and wind are folded in, winter brings about 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C.
winter sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
Hong Kong Island weather by month
How the three winter months (December, January and February) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 18° / 15° | 29 | 5 | 10.8 | 6.7 |
| Feb | 19° / 16° | 44 | 8.1 | 11.2 | 6.2 |
| Mar | 21° / 18° | 69 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 6.3 |
| Apr | 24° / 22° | 116 | 12.6 | 12.5 | 6.2 |
| May | 27° / 25° | 210 | 17.3 | 13.1 | 5.2 |
| Jun | 29° / 27° | 309 | 21.5 | 13.3 | 3.8 |
| Jul | 30° / 27° | 248 | 20.4 | 13.2 | 3.8 |
| Aug | 30° / 27° | 307 | 21.9 | 12.8 | 3.7 |
| Sep | 29° / 26° | 214 | 16.3 | 12.1 | 4.7 |
| Oct | 27° / 24° | 75 | 6.6 | 11.5 | 7.3 |
| Nov | 24° / 20° | 39 | 5.1 | 10.9 | 7.9 |
| Dec | 20° / 16° | 34 | 4.5 | 10.7 | 7.2 |
Cloud cover in Winter
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 38% of the time across winter.
Chance of precipitation in Winter
Hong Kong Island gets around 107 mm of rain over 18 wet days across winter. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Winter
Most of winter feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Winter
Winds average 19 km/h across winter.
Sunrise & sunset in Winter
Daylight runs from about 10 h 42 min in early December to 11 h 30 min by late February. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Winter
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across winter, about 3.5 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Hong Kong Island
In winter, Hong Kong Island overlaps its pacific typhoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Hong Kong Island sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.
Hong Kong Island's monsoon runs May–September, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is winter a good time to visit Hong Kong Island?
Our two travel scores rate winter for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
winter is a reasonable time to visit Hong Kong Island for sightseeing.
What to pack for Hong Kong Island in Winter
From winter's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In winter, Hong Kong Island sees daytime highs around 19°C and nights near 16°C. Worth packing: rain gear. About 18 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Hong Kong Island in Winter
The nearest coast averages about 20°C across winter — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 17 km away) is warmest in August at about 29°C and coldest in January near 20°C.
It's comfortable for a long swim from Feb 26 to Jan 6 — about 10.4 months when the water holds above 20°C.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 20 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 24 | 21 |
| Comfort | Cool | Cool | Refreshing | Refreshing | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm | Refreshing | Refreshing |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20 | Cool |
| Feb | 20 | Cool |
| Mar | 21 | Refreshing |
| Apr | 23 | Refreshing |
| May | 26 | Warm |
| Jun | 28 | Tropical |
| Jul | 29 | Tropical |
| Aug | 29 | Tropical |
| Sep | 28 | Tropical |
| Oct | 27 | Warm |
| Nov | 24 | Refreshing |
| Dec | 21 | Refreshing |
UV index in Hong Kong Island in Winter
Clear-sky midday UV across winter averages around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Hong Kong Island peaks around July 13 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 11 at about 6 (high).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 6 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 6 |
| Level | High | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high | High | High |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6 | High |
| Feb | 8 | Very high |
| Mar | 9 | Very high |
| Apr | 9 | Very high |
| May | 10 | Very high |
| Jun | 12 | Extreme |
| Jul | 12 | Extreme |
| Aug | 11 | Extreme |
| Sep | 10 | Very high |
| Oct | 8 | Very high |
| Nov | 7 | High |
| Dec | 6 | High |
Air quality in Hong Kong Island in Winter
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where winter falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Hong Kong Island is worst in January — around 183 µg/m³ PM2.5 (very unhealthy), about 2.5× the cleanest month (July, 73 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 183 | 175 | 165 | 149 | 115 | 83 | 73 | 85 | 119 | 127 | 157 | 156 |
| Level | Very unhealthy | Very unhealthy | Very unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Very unhealthy | Very unhealthy |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 183 | Very unhealthy |
| Feb | 175 | Very unhealthy |
| Mar | 165 | Very unhealthy |
| Apr | 149 | Unhealthy |
| May | 115 | Unhealthy |
| Jun | 83 | Unhealthy |
| Jul | 73 | Unhealthy |
| Aug | 85 | Unhealthy |
| Sep | 119 | Unhealthy |
| Oct | 127 | Unhealthy |
| Nov | 157 | Very unhealthy |
| Dec | 156 | Very unhealthy |
Where is Hong Kong Island?
Hong Kong Island sits at 22.3°N, 114.2°E, 170 m above sea level, in Hong Kong. The nearest listed city is Leighton Hill, 1.0 km away.
Topography around Hong Kong Island
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Hong Kong Island.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Hong Kong Island has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 467 m around an average of 144 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 739 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 984 m.
The land around Hong Kong Island is covered by trees (65%) and artificial surfaces (22%) within 3 km, water (62%) and trees (26%) within 16 km, and water (65%) and trees (21%) within 80 km.
Hong Kong travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type D / G / M
- 220 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 71% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $56,983
- 2025
- Happiness
- 5.6 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 100%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 0.4
- per 100k, 2023
- Income group
- High
- World Bank
- English
- Moderate
- EF EPI 538
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Hong Kong Island (22.263°, 114.1842°, elevation 170 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google.