MONDAY, JULY 19, 1976
TEMPERATURES IN HONG KONG
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PEOPLE IN HONG KONG OFTEN COMPLAIN ABOUT THE HEAT WHEN TEMPERATURE REACHES 30 DEGREES CELSIUS, BUT IMAGINE SOMEWHERE IN THE WORLD, IT CAN BE AS HOT AS 57.8 DEGREES CELSIUS.
THIS RECORD TEMPERATURE OCCURRED ON SEPTEMBER 13, 1922 IN TRIPOLITANIA, A PROVINCE OF LIBYA IN AFRICA.
FORTUNATELY, THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE IN HONG KONG EVER SINCE RECORDS BEGAN IN 1884 IS 36.1 DEGREES CELSIUS, WHICH CAN HARDLY BE DESCRIBED AS HIGH BY WORLD STANDARDS.
THIS READING WAS RECORDED ON AUGUST 19, 1900. THE SECOND HIGHEST READING IS 35.7 DEGREES CELSIUS AND THE THIRD, 35.6 DEGREES CELSIUS.
MR. PETER IN A RECENT PUBLICATION ON EXTREME TEMPERATURES, PETERSON, SENIOR SCIENTIFIC OFFICER OF THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY, POINTS OUT THAT NINE OF HONG KONG'S TEN HOTTEST DAYS WERE ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL CYCLONES TO THE EAST OR SOUTHEAST OF HONG KONG.
OF THE 20 HOTTEST DAYS BETWEEN 1884 AND 1976, 14 OF THEM WERE ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL CYCLONES.
ALL THESE TROPICAL CYCLONES WERE CENTRED AROUND THE LUZON STRAITS WHERE THEY WOULD JUST BEGIN TO CAUSE NORTHERLY OR NORTHWESTERLY OFFSHORE WIND IN HONG KONG AND AS LAND TEMPERATURES WERE HIGHER THAN SEA TEMPERATURES HONG KONG EXPERIENCED HOT WEATHER.
ONE RECENT EXAMPLE WAS TYPHOON RUBY WHICH THREATENED HONG KONG FOR SOME TIME LATE LAST MONTH. DURING ITS APPROACH TEMPERATURE REACHED 36.5 DEGREES CELSIUS AT TAI O ON JUNE 26. WHILE AS IT MOVED AWAY CHEUNG CHAU RECORDED 35.1 DEGREES CELSIUS CN JUNE 29. AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY, READINGS FOR BOTH DAYS WAS 33.8 DEGREES CELSIUS.
ANOTHER FEATURE ABOUT THE HOTTEST DAYS IS THAT THEY TEND TO FOLLOW DRY SPELLS.
IN 1963, HONG KONG EXPERIENCED THE DRIEST MAY ON RECORD WITH ONLY 6 MM OF RAINFALL. ON MAY 31, THE TEMPERATURE REACHED 35.5 DEGREES CELSIUS FOLLOWED BY 35.6 DEGREES CELSIUS THE NEXT DAY, THESE ARE THE FOURTH AND THE THIRD HIGHEST TEMPERATURE ON RECORD RESPECTIVELY.
THESE VERY HIGH TEMPERATURES NOT ONLY MEAN DISCOMFORT TO PEOPLE, BUT THEY ARE AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THE DESIGN OF PROJECTS LIKE AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEMS, POWER CABLES AND RAILWAY LINES. EXTREME TEMPERATURES ARE IMPORTANT TO THE CLOTHING
INDUSTRY.
THE LOWEST