MONDAY, JULY 4, 1977
RAINFALL ONE OF LOWEST IN HK HISTORY
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HONG KONG'S RAINFALL SINCE THE BEGINNING OF LAST WINTER HAS BEEN 35.6 PER CENT BELOW AVERAGE, MAKING IT THE FOURTH LOWEST EVER, ACCORDING TO A ROYAL OBSERVATORY RAINFALL ANALYSIS RELEASED TODAY.
+FROM 1884 UNTIL NOW, THE AVERAGE TOTAL RAINFALL FOR THE PERIOD NOVEMBER TO JUNE HAS BEEN 1045.9 MM (41.2 INCHES),+ AN OBSERVATORY SPOKESMAN SAID.
+THIS YEAR THE RAINFALL FOR THE SAME PERIOD HAS BEEN ONLY 630.4 MM (24.8 INCHES). JUNE'S RAINFALL WAS ITSELF 35 PER CENT BELOW AVERAGE.+
AND FOR THE SECOND MONTH RUNNING, ABNORMAL RAINFALL PATTERNS SHORT, LOCALISED SHOWERS INSTEAD OF HONG KONG'S USUAL WIDESPREAD AND PROLONGED SUMMER RAINFALLS -- HAVE ROBBED THE TERRITORY'S MAJOR CATCHMENTS OF MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF MUCH-NEEDED WATER.
MUCH OF THE VITAL RAIN SINCE THE BEGINNING OF MAY HAS FALLEN SOUTH OF LION ROCK, HITTING THE URBAN AREAS OF KOWLOON AND HONG KONG ISLAND AND MISSING THE TERRITORY'S MAJOR OPERATIONAL RESERVOIR, PLOVER COVE.
AND A LARGE PROPORTION OF THAT RAIN WHICH HAS FALLEN IN SHORT, SHARP SHOWERS ON THE CATCHMENT AREAS HAS SIMPLY BEEN SOAKED UP BY THE PARCHED EARTH, WITH VERY LITTLE OF IT EVER GETTING TO THE RESERVOIRS.
THE WATERWORKS CHIEF ENGINEER IN CHARGE OF SUPPLY MR. WONG KWOK-LAI, SAID THESE WERE THE REASONS THAT THE TOTAL STORAGE IN THE RESERVOIRS FELL FROM 31,488 MILLION GALLONS ON JUNE 1 TO THE JUNE 30 LEVEL OF 29,957 MILLION GALLONS.
+THE LAST TIMES RESERVOIRS STORAGE ACTUALLY FELL IN JUNE WERE IN 1967 AND 1963 -- THE YEARS OF BAD DROUGHTS,+ MR. WONG SAID.
+ IN A NORMAL YEAR, RESERVOIR STORAGE INCREASES DURING JUNE AS A RESULT OF THE YIELD FROM SUMMER RAINS.+
LAST YEAR, FOR EXAMPLE, STORAGE DURING JUNE ROSE FROM 41,610 MILLION GALLONS TO 52,360 MILLION GALLONS.
IN 1975 IT GREW FROM 61,000 MILLION TO 66,000 MILLION.
EVEN IN 1974 THE LAST YEAR IN WHICH WATER RESTRICTIONS WERE IMPOSED STORAGE HAD RISEN FROM 35,036 MILLION GALLONS TO 40,253 MILLION GALLONS AT THE END OF JUNE GALLONS MORE THAN OUR PRESENT STORAGE.
M
10,000 MILL ION
YET BY WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE END OF THE RAINY REASON
IN OCTOBER 1974, LEVELS WERE BACK DOWN TO 32,551 MILLION GALLONS.
/+ONLY