F 7
V.—WEATHER TELEGRAMS, FORECASTS AND STORM WARNINGS,
Daily Weather Telegrams. In addition to the ordinary 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. observations those for 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. are now received from the following stations:---
Shanghai Phulien
Macao Tourane
Cape St. James.
Similar observations from Gutzlaff and Amoy have been sanctioned but have not yet been received.
By the courtesy of the Naval Commander-in-Chief arrangements were made at the close of the year for all cruisers, submarine depot ships and sloops on the China station, whilst away from Hongkong, at sea or in harbour, to make meteorological observations at 6 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 5 p.m., Hongkong Standard Time, and transmit them to Hongkong; also for gun-boats on the Yangtze and West River to make and transmit observations at 6 a.m. daily.
This service has started and forms a very valuable addition to the observations received by cable and from ships of the mercantile marine.
Another valuable addition has been the Japanese Observatory in the Pelew Islands (latitude 7.20 N. and longitude 134.29 E.) from which the 6 a.m. observations have been received regularly by wireless telegraphy since November 12.
The much needed wireless station on the Pratas Shoal (latitude 20.40 N. and longitude 116.47 E.) after negotiations extending over 16 years, was completed in August, and 6 a.m. observations have been received regularly, since August 15, except from November to November 23 when, apparently, the station was out of commission. Since August 21 the 2 p.m. observations have also been received.
The wireless installation at Yap was wrecked by a typhoon on December 15, and no observations were received from this date until January 26.
Occasionally belated weather telegrams are received from South China, but as a rule the observations from these districts are posted in batches to Hongkong, as are those from Central China.
Extra Weather Telegrams.—The following stations send extra weather telegrams at half rates during typhoons, on receipt of certain code words from Hongkong:- Amoy, Canton, Macao, Phulien, Sharp Peak and Taihoku. The Director of the Philippines Weather Bureau also sends extra telegrams, at his discretion, from Aparri or some other station nearer the typhoon centre. The extra 9 p.m. telegram from Swatow, kindly sanctioned by the Chinese Telegraph Administration during the typhoon season, was not received in 1925.