Hong Kong records show that the city is experiencing its hottest Winter solstice in over two decades. Local temperatures in a few portions of the New Territories have pushed the mercury above 82 degrees Fahrenheit, according to reports.
Saturday was the sixth warmest day since the beginning of record keeping in 1884, even as the Christmas holiday is predicted to drop to just a balmy 76 degrees Fahrenheit.
Hong Kong's warmest winter solstice on record in 1951 saw temps rise to over 83 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the South China Morning POst (SCMP).
Known as dong zhi in China, the Winter solstice is the longest night of the year in the Earth's northern hemisphere, a day the Chinese lunar calendar notes as the "extreme of winter," but indicating a turning point in the seasons for shorter nights.
Chinese tradition sees the Winter solstice ordinarily celebrated by a family eating glutinous rice balls — also known as tang yuan — as a symbol of unity and prosperity to ward off the effects of the darkest day of the year.