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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 1ST AUGUST, 1891.
GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.-No. 340.
The following Report of the Director of the Observatory is published for general information.
By Command,
W. M. GOODMAN,
Acting Colonial Secretary.
2
Colonial Secretary's Office, Ilongkong, 1st August, 1891.
ACCOUNT OF THE TYPHOON OF THE 17TH TO 20ти JULY, 1891.
In order to give an example of the working of the Meteorological Signals hoisted in Kowloon, and the amount of reliance that can be placed on them, the following short account of the last typhoon has been drawn up. In addition to observations at telegraphic reporting stations, many of which were received by post, extracts of 16 log books are available, but the investigations are as yet incomplete. as reports from the greater number of stations will not arrive till next month.
Cirrus clouds were noted coming from ENE on the 16th July.
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On the 17th the highest temperature of the month, so far, was registered. The air was un- usually dry along the SE coast of China and the barometer read higher than during the previous days. Gradients were very gentle and calms or light, airs prevailed: all signs of the existence of a typhoon as explained in "The Law of Storms in the Eastern Seas," (2nd Edition, p. 1). (largest bien
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Directions to hoist the Red Drum were issued at 6.30 p. on the 17th, and at 6.40 p. the following notice: Typhoon near southern Formosa.’ At this time the centre appears to have been in about. 204° 20 N, 1211 E. The barometer was falling in Amoy and Swatow and the weather was squally and wet in Luzon with SW breezes. Ships to the north of Formosa experienced NE breezes and rough seas. A regular SW monsoon was experienced in the China Sea with a falling barometer. According to page 9 of the "The Law of Storms steamers bound for a northern port should run southward and shape their course so as to sail round the cyclone. In case of several steamers in this typhoon that rule was disregarded. They proceeded straight eastward and ran into the cyclone.
At 3 a. on the 18th directions were issued to hoist Two Lanterns horizontally. These indicate approaching bad weather in the Colony and that the wind is expected to back, the centre of the disturbance going to the north of the Colony. This signal was justified by events more than 24 hours after. At 4.35 a. directions were given to hoist the Black Drum. This indicates that the centre is situated between NE and SE and less than 300 nautical miles from the Colony. At this time the centre was in about 21° N, 119° E and therefore about; 300 miles ESE of the Colony. At 10.10 a. the following notice was issued:-"Typhoon in Formosa Channel." At this time the centre was in about 21° N, 118° E. It was intimated that it appeared to move northwards. This was justified in so far as it moved WNWestward nearly all the tiine.
At 4.30 p. on the 18th the following notice was issued:-"The centre of the typhoon appears to be. within 200 miles and SE of Hongkong moving Westward but to be no longer accompanied by winds of dangerous force in the northern semi-circle." All this time the black drum which indicated that the centre was between NE and SE remained hoisted. At this time the centre was in about 21° 15′ N, 117° 0′ E about 170 miles ESE of the Colony and moving WNWestward. No NE wind stronger than a gentle breeze was reported from stations to the north of the centre, but it is now known that NE and E gales were experienced outside Swatow on board the steamers Euphrates, Haitun, Fushun and Ajax. The S.S. Ancona experienced a moderate SE breeze in the northern entrance to the Formosa Channel, where it nearly always blows a NE gale while there is a typhoon south of the Formosa Channel. On the other hand, a fresh SW breeze was reported from Cape Saint James (800 miles SW of the centre) and the S.S. Memnon coming up from Borneo had a SW gale and heavy sea in 14° N, 118 E. It was strong winds from the southern semi-circle that were subsequently expe-. rienced in Hongkong.-At midnight the S.S. Taicheong between Pedro Blanco and Chelang Point was in the bull's eye of the storm. Full typhoon force was not experienced till the centre was past and the steamer was in the southern semi-circle when it blew force 12 from SW.
At 12.6 a. on the 19th directions were issued to hoist Two lanterns vertically. This intimated bad weather and that the centre was expected to pass to the southward of the Colony, whereas it subse- quently passed a few miles to the north of us, but the centre was at the time moving so exactly straight towards the Colony that it was an even chance to which side it would pass, and in the absence of obser- vations from Victoria Peak, there were no data whatever for inclining to one alternative rather than the other. At midnight the centre was in about 22° 0′ N, 114° 54′ E, about 70 miles ESE of the Colony, where a moderate NW breeze with a falling barometer and Roll-cumulus clouds coming from the N and slight rain were registered. Lightning had been noted in the NW at 10