3 -
TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1975
REVIEW OF LAST YEAR'S WEATHER OCTOBER DOWNPOURS
-
A WELCOME RELIEF TO THE DROUGHT ******
:
4
HONG KONG EXPERIENCED EXCEPTIONALLY DRY CONDITIONS DURING THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF 1974 RESULTING IN A SERIOUS WATER SHORTAGE.
HOWEVER, HEAVY DOWNPOURS IN OCTOBER BROUGHT A WELCOME RELIEF TO THE DROUGHT AND AN END TO WATER SUPPLY RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED IN SEPTEMBER.
THE ACCUMULATED RAINFALL ROSE FROM MORE THAN 30 PER CENT BELOW AVERAGE AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER TO SEVEN PER CENT ABOVE NORMAL BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
IN ITS ANNUAL WEATHER REPORT ISSUED TODAY, THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY SAID THAT OUT OF A.TOTAL OF 34 TROPICAL CYCLONES WHICH FORMED IN THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC AND THE SOUTH CHINA SEA DURING THE YEAR, AN UNPRECEDENTED NUMBER OF 11 AFFECTED HONG KONG AND NECESSITATED THE HOISTING OF TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING SIGNALS.
IT WAS ALSO THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY THAT FOUR TROPICAL CYCLONES AFFECTED THE TERRITORY DURING OCTOBER AND ONE PASSED CLOSE ENOUGH TO CAUSE STRONG WINDS IN DECEMBER.
THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF THE YEAR WERE MUCH DRIER AND SUNNIER THAN USUAL AND FIRE DANGER WARNINGS WERE IN FORCE ON 44 DAYS. THE FIRST TROPICAL CYCLONE REPORTED IN THE YEAR, SEVERE TROPICAL STORM 'WANDA', FORMED TO THE EAST OF THE SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES ON JANUARY 10. IT MOVED NORTHEASTWARDS AND DISSIPATED OVER THE COLD WATERS EAST OF LUZON ON JANUARY 14.
TWO VERY COLD SPELLS WERE EXPERIENCED DURING FEBRUARY WHEN FROST AND ICE FORMATION WERE REPORTED ON HIGH GROUND AND IN THE NEW TERRITORIES. THE AIR TEMPERATURE FELL TO 4.2 DEGREES CELSIUS AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY EARLY ON FEBRUARY 26, WHICH WAS THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE RECORDED IN THE YEAR, THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE RECORDED IN THE SAME MORNING AT TAI MO SHAN AND TATE'S CAIRN WERE -6.5 DEGREES CELSIUS AND -2.2 DEGREES CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY. ON FEBRUARY 23, WIDESPREAD FOG AND LOW VISIBILITY ASSOCIATED WITH A MOIST AIRSTREAM FROM THE PACIFIC CAUSED 23 AIRCRAFT TO DIVERT FROM THE HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THE STRONG MONSOON SIGNAL WAS HOISTED THREE TIMES IN FEBRUARY AND ONCE IN MARCH. A TROPICAL STORM NAMED 'AMY' DEVELOPED NEAR THE CAROLINE ISLANDS ON MARCH 14. IT MOVED WESTWARDS AT FIRST AND THEN RECURVED NORTHEASTWARDS, DISSIPATING OVER THE PACIFIC TO THE SOUTHEAST OF JAPAN ON MARCH 19.
/VIOLENT ...............