GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE
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were a few thunderstorms on 10th and 16th, but the month's rainfall was well below normal. Tropical storm Babe developed over the China Sea on 1st June. It moved north-north-eastwards, passing about 70 miles south-east of Hong Kong at noon on 4th June. It then crossed the China coast near Swatow without causing any strong winds in Hong Kong. There was a spell of south-west mon- soon and there were some heavy showers, but the rainfall in June was also slightly below normal.
The south-west monsoon persisted in early July, but on 6th July Freda formed as a tropical depression over the Pacific. It intensified and moved north-westwards across Luzon on 13th July and then changed direction and moved steadily west-north-westwards across the China Sea. It passed 135 miles south-south-west of Hong Kong at 4 a.m. on 15th July and there were easterly gales with maximum gusts of 61 knots at the Royal Observatory and 80 knots at Tate's Cairn. Two people were killed and 16 injured, but there was very little property damage. Freda passed inland near Haiphong early on 16th July. Tropical storm Gilda crossed the China Sea on 20th- 24th July and, although the centre was some 260 miles away, a violent squall line caused some very heavy rain in the Colony and gusts of 56 knots on 23rd July. Typhoon Harriet crossed Taiwan on 26th July but did not cause any strong winds in Hong Kong. In spite of the tropical cyclones the rainfall for July was also slightly below normal.
August was sunny and dry with temperatures above normal. The average relative humidity was the lowest ever recorded in August and the rainfall was less than half the normal amount. Late on 4th September, typhoon Rose passed about 130 miles south-south-west of Hong Kong heading towards the west-north-west. There were strong winds for a short while but very little rain. The next few typhoons all recurved well to the east of Hong Kong and while there was considerable damage in Japan the Colony was spared until tropical storm Agnes developed on 25th September.
Agnes approached from the south-south-west and although there were no gales at the Observatory there was an exceptional amount of rain. A total of 12.81 inches of rain were recorded on 27th Sep- tember, which is the highest daily rainfall ever recorded in any September day since 1884. The rain persisted for several more days and the total rainfall during September (31.43 inches) is the second