Warning: Cold Weather Ahead!

Since the official start of Fall – when it was still 90+ degrees – store windows were full of mannequins donning heavy wool coats, fur lined boots, and scarves of every color. We wondered, “Who wears this stuff – in Hong Kong?”

By late-October, it was evident that the fashion-focused and the local population pull out their winter gear without regard to the thermostat. The picture below is representative of standard attire on a 70+ degree day:

This week, winter parkas came out like umbrellas in the rain (or sun!). By all appearances, you would have expected a blizzard to be on its way. The newspaper reported that a cold front was moving in and that a cold weather warning might be issued. I thought that it was ridiculous - it doesn’t even freeze in Hong Kong! I dismissed it, believing that I would continue to wear flip flops year-round.

Then, the front moved in. The mercury dropped. The warning was declared. Wednesday was the coldest November 18 in Hong Kong since 1883. It was 49 degrees. Temperatures hovered around 55 degrees all week.

So what? Well, although 55 degrees doesn’t sound cold, it felt cold. Really cold. Being inside wasn’t much relief. Living in an all concrete building with hard surfaced floors and with no heat feels like living in an igloo. I declared my own cold weather emergency and dug out fleece winter-wear, and dragged a space heater from room-to-room.

While I still think issuing a “warning” for 40-something degree temperatures is a bit dramatic, I admit I was wrong in thinking that it doesn’t really get cold in Hong Kong. Next time I’ll know that when a cold weather warning is imminent, I won’t dismiss it – I will know that it really is time to put away my flip flops.

And, the heavy coats and other cold weather paraphernalia we've been seeing since October no longer seem silly. In fact, they are far more practical for Hong Kong than I ever could have imagined – after all, they are essential for indoor AND outdoor use!