With less moisture in the lower atmosphere over the coast of southern China, December was much drier than usual, the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) said today.

Only traces of rainfall were recorded in the month, and it was one of 11 Decembers with just traces of rainfall since records began in 1884.

The annual total rainfall of 2,309.7mm was about 5% below the annual norm. The monthly mean temperature was 18.5 degrees Celsius, 0.3 degrees above the December norm.

One tropical cyclone occurred over the South China Sea and the western North Pacific in December, the HKO added.