December was warm and hazy with a mean temperature of 19.3 degrees Celsius, 1.7 degrees above normal, making it the fourth highest December on record. 

The total rainfall in the month was 15.7mm, 58% of the normal figure. The accumulated rainfall since the beginning of the year was 1,706.9 mm, 23% below normal.

A high-pressure ridge over southern China brought fine weather on the first two days of the month. Local winds strengthened on December 3. Weather was fine and dry on December 4 due to a continental airstream. 

It became cloudy on December 5 as a cloud band covered the coast of Guangdong. It was fine but hazy from December 7 to 9 with the northeast monsoon over southern China. 

The northeast monsoon moderated on December 10 and the weather was sunny and warm in the next two days. Haze returned on December 13 with visibility at the Hong Kong International Airport dropping to below 2,000 metres. 

It turned cloudy on December 16 when a broad cloud band affected the coast of Guangdong and lasted for six days. The northeast monsoon on December 23 brought cooler weather. Fine weather persisted from December 26 to 28.

Temperatures dropped on December 29 and 30 upon the arrival of the cold air associated with an intense winter monsoon. Temperature fell to 12 degrees on December 31, the lowest in the month.

There were no tropical cyclones over the South China Sea nor the western North Pacific in the month.