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FRIDAY, MARCH 12, 1976
5TH WARMEST FEBRUARY ON RECORD
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LAST MONTH WAS THE FIFTH WARMEST FEBRUARY SINCE RECORDS BEGAN IN 1884, ACCORDING TO THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY.
LIKE JANUARY, FEBRUARY HAD MEAN TEMPERATURES ABOVE NORMAL AND THE WARM AND SUNNY WEATHER OF THE PREVIOUS MONTH CONTINUED UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH WHEN A COLD FRONT PASSED THROUGH HONG KONG.
THE MEAN TEMPERATURE WAS 17.6 DEGREES CELSIUS AND THE MEAN MAXIMUM WAS 20.7 DEGREES. TAKEN TOGETHER, THE MEAN TEMPERATURE FOR THE TWO MONTHS OF JANUARY AND FEBRUARY WAS 1.3 DEGREES CELSIUS ABOVE NORMAL.
HOWEVER BECAUSE OF THE EXTREMELY COLD SPELL IN MID-DECEMBER THE MEAN TEMPERATURE FOR THE THREE WINTER MONTHS WAS 15.9 DEGREES CELSIUS, WHICH IS VERY CLOSE TO THE NORMAL OF 16 DEGREES CELSIUS.
AGAIN LIKE JANUARY, FEBRUARY WAS MUCH DRIER THAN USUAL AND FIRE DANGER WARNINGS WERE IN FORCE FOR 22 DAYS.
THE STRONG MONSOON SIGNAL WAS HOISTED FIVE TIMES AND THIS IS THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF OCCASIONS IN ANY FEBRUARY SINCE 1957.
WIDESPREAD FOG WAS REPORTED OVER HONG KONG AND ALONG THE SOUTH CHINA COAST BETWEEN FEBRUARY 14 AND 18. DURING THIS PERIOD, VISIBILITY WAS REDUCED TO 100 METRES AT WAGLAN ISLAND AND 150 METRES AT CHEUNG CHAU. ONE SHIP WENT AGROUND AT LE YUE MUN CHANNEL AND FOUR OTHER SHIPS WERE INVOLVED IN COLLISIONS.
AN UNUSUAL PHENOMENON OCCURRED DURING THE MONTH. +YELLOW RAIN+ WAS REPORTED OVER HONG KONG ON FEBRUARY 25 AND 26. THIS WAS PROBABLY DUE TO THE POLLEN FROM PINE TREES WASHED DOWN BY THE RAIN.
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