The temperature at the Taipa Grande observatory plummeted to 7.7°C at 6:00 am today, the lowest it has been since the start of winter, according to the Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG).
The bureau says the city is feeling the effects of the winter monsoon, with the weather over the coming days expected to be cold and dry, with strong northerly winds.
Currently, the SMG has placed Macao under a yellow cold weather alert, noting that minimum temperatures of 8°C or below are expected during the next two days.
[See more: Macao’s elderly are struggling in the cold weather]
A strong monsoon signal was also issued by the SMG at 9:15 am. The bureau has advised motorists to be wary of gusts on bridges and says motorcyclists should travel between the peninsula and Taipa via the motorcycle lane on the Sai Van Bridge.
The SMG predicts tomorrow’s temperatures to be between 8°C to 14°C, with the minimum temperature on Christmas Day expected to be 10°C.
Macao is not the only southern Chinese city affected by the cold weather. Guangzhou saw its mercury drop to 8°C earlier this week, with some areas in Guangdong province reporting snow – a rare occurrence. Neighbouring Hong Kong is slightly warmer, with a 12°C minimum temperature expected on Christmas Day.
