The first three days of the new lunar year are expected to be mild, cloudy and warmer than the same time during the last two years, as a relatively humid easterly air stream closes in on the Guangdong coast. Temperatures of around 17 to 23 degrees Celsius are expected during this period. But readings are likely to drop into the mid-teens by Tuesday \u2013 the fourth day of the festivities \u2013 as a northeast monsoon \u201csurge\u201d returns cooler weather to coastal areas, according to the Observatory. \u201cThe first and second days of the new year will be warm in the daytime, but cloud cover is expected to gradually increase,\u201d said Observatory scientific officer Shum Chi-tai. \u201cBut people should be aware that by the evening of the third day of the new year [Monday], the weather will turn cooler.\u201d The rest of the week, following the public holidays, is forecast to be mostly fine and sunny. Humidity in the first three days of the new year is forecast to go as high as 95 per cent on Sunday and Monday, while \u201cone or two rain patches\u201d could be expected in the morning and night. Visibility is also expected to be low, possibly affecting views of the Lunar New Year fireworks display on Sunday night. A total of 23,888 fireworks will be shot into the air during the 23-minute display. This year\u2019s rather mild holiday weather will be a far cry from last year\u2019s chilly week-long spell, which saw temperatures drop as low as 9.9 degrees on Lunar New Year\u2019s Eve and 11.6 degrees on New Year\u2019s Day. The mean temperature recorded at the Observatory on New Year\u2019s Day last year \u2013 February 8 \u2013 was just 14.8 degrees. The highest temperature ever recorded on New Year\u2019s Day was 25.3 degrees, in mid-February 2007. The lowest was 5.8 degrees, recorded back in mid-February 1950. Observatory scientific officer Chong Sze-ning said the maximum temperature forecast for this New Year\u2019s Day \u2013 around 20 degrees \u2013 would not trouble any records, but said new year weather in the last few years had been warmer than usual. Festive flower growers and sellers have already seen their produce bloom earlier than usual this year as a result of warmer weather, with last month being the second-hottest December in 132 years. This month\u2019s daytime temperatures have ranged from 14 to 29 degrees. The highest New Year\u2019s Day temperature recorded in the 30 years between 1981 and 2010 was 17.8 degrees, and the minimum was 13.9 degrees.<\/p>\n