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away from Hong Kong, at sea or in harbour, to make meteorological observations at 6 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., Hong Kong Standard Time, and transmit them to Hong Kong; also for gunboats on the Yangtze and West River to make and transmit observations at 6 a.m. daily.
This service forms a very valuable addition to the observations received by cable and from ships of the mercantile marine.
On February 8, Mr. C.W. Hsu, the officer in charge of the Pratas Radio and meteorological station, brought two meteorological observers for Pratas to view the Observatory. Observations at 6h. and 14h. (120th meridian time) have been received by radio telegraphy from this station, on a 600 metre wave, with commendable regularity, and also at 11h and 17h since April 16. During typhoon weather Mr. Hsu very kindly sent us hourly observations, which were of very great value in connection with storm warnings.
On July 26 the station was formally opened by Admiral Hsu. The Director was unable to be present as the Chief Assistant was on leave and the acting Chief Assistant was in Hospital.
Occasionally belated weather telegrams are received from South China but as a rule the observations from these districts are posted in batches to Hong Kong, as are those from Central China.
In January the Japanese Authorities agreed to use the Hong Kong 6-letter code for the daily weather telegrams. Its use was sanctioned by the Cable Companies in 1915 and the sanction ratified in September, 1926. Owing, however, to the absence in Europe of Dr. Okada, the Director of the Tokio Observatory, the details of the scheme have not yet been settled.
Extra Weather Telegrams. The following stations send extra weather telegrams at half rates during typhoons, on receipt of certain code words from Hong Kong:-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 9 p.m. observations from Swatow, kindly sanctioned by the Chinese Telegraph Administration, were occasionally received the same evening, but usually on the next or following day.
In September, Dr. S. Teramoto, director of the Taihoku Observatory, very kindly consented to send extra weather telegrams from the two stations in Formosa nearest to the typhoon centre, instead of from only one station.