While mild lows of 17°C are forecast for Friday and Saturday in Macao, temperatures are expected to drop as the Lunar New Year arrives, likely prompting a yellow cold weather alert. But there is good news: the forecast is above the earlier predicted severely cold level of 7°C.
According to the Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (known by its Portuguese initials SMG), an approaching winter monsoon will bring a low of 12°C and light rain on Sunday, with a high of 22°C. Monday and Tuesday, the latter being the first day of the Chinese New Year holiday, are expected to be colder, with lows of 10°C and highs of 17°C and 18°C, respectively. Tuesday is forecast to be fine.
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The cold snap is likely to continue on Wednesday, with a low of 11°C, before the temperatures rise slightly on Thursday, with a low of 13°C.
The city’s hospitals have reported a surge of people with cold and flu symptoms, prompting health officials to renew calls for vaccinations as flu season reaches its peak.
Macao’s weather observatory has two low temperature alerts: yellow for “cold” weather and orange for “very cold” weather. The government’s winter shelter in Ilha Verde typically opens when temperatures drop to 12°C.
