With temperatures sinking below six degrees on Lantau this morning, the Hong Kong Observatory has warned that the cold spell will continue until late next week.

“The winter monsoon and its replenishment will maintain the cold spell over southern China to the latter part of next week,” the Observatory said.

“Locally, temperatures over the territory this morning were generally two to three degrees lower than those of yesterday,” it said in an early morning post.

It warns of relatively large temperature difference between day and night in the next few days.

At 5:40am, the temperature was 6.6 degrees in Chek Lap Kok and 5.9 in South Lantau and Cheung Chau, while Ngong Ping shivered at 0.6 degrees.

The cold snap is the result of an intense winter monsoon that has brought wintry weather to southern China. 

A strong monsoon signal has been in force since late yesterday afternoon, bringing winds from the north and rough seas, the Observatory said.

The monsoon – a seasonal wind that arises out of the differential heating of seas and lands – usually arrives in Hong Kong from the northeast in winter and the southwest in summer.

Today will be dry and fine, with expected maximum of 13 degrees.

Cold start: Hong Kong at 5:40am (Map: Hong Kong Observatory)