F 8
The service promises to be a success, and when taken up by all equipped vessels as a routine duty, will be of very considerable utility in connection with daily weather forecasts as well as storm warnings.
The principal difficulties at present are the uncertainty as to what, if any, corrections have been applied to the barometer readings, and the use of aneroid barometers with shifting zeros. Endeavours are being made to remedy the first difficulty, but the second can never be remedied while the use of aneroid barometers is permitted.
Results of Weather Forecasts. The results of the comparison of the daily weather forecasts with the weather subsequently experienced are given below, with the results of the previous five years:
Year Complete Success Partial Success Partial Failure Total Failure % % % 1910 58 32 9 1 1911 55 32 11 2 1912 62 34 3 1 1913 66 28 3 3 1914 62 32 5 1 1915 54 37Storm Warnings.-Storm warnings according to the "China Coast" code, and the local code, were displayed when necessary. Others according to the Hongkong telegraphic code were sent to the following ports:-Amoy, Swatow, Sharp Peak, Macao, Canton, Pakhoi, Hoihow, Phulien, Manila, Labuan, and Singapore. For the benefit of vessels taking shelter in Kowloon Bay and to the west of Stonecutters Island, the local warnings are repeated at Lyemun by the military authorities and at Lai-Chi-Kok by the Standard Oil Company.