1
SUNDAY, AUGUST 19, 1979
JULY MUCH HOTTER AND SLIGHTLY WETTER THAN USUAL
******
LAST MONTH (JULY) WAS SUNNIER, MUCH HOTTER AND SLIGHTLY WETTER THAN USUAL, ACCORDING TO THE MONTHLY WEATHER SUMMARY RELEASED BY THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY TODAY (SUNDAY).
THE MEAN TEMPERATURE OF 29.2 DEGREES CELSIUS AND MEAN MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 32.1 DEGREES RANK FOURTH AND FIFTH HIGHEST ON RECORD FOR JULY RESPECTIVELY, WHILE THE TOTAL DURATION OF BRIGHT SUNSHINE OF 273.7 HOURS RANKS NINTH HIGHEST ON RECORD FOR THE MONTH.
THE TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTED TO 339.4 MM OR SIX PER CENT ABOVE NORMAL, BRINGING THE ACCUMULATED RAINFALL FROM THE BEGINNING OF 1979 TO THE END OF JULY TO 1,390.1 MM WHICH IS FIVE PER CENT ABOVE NORMAL.
MOST OF THE MONTH'S RAINFALL WAS RECORDED WITHIN THE LAST THREE DAYS OF THE MONTH.
DURING THE MONTH, FOUR TROPICAL CYCLONES TYPHOON ELLIS, SEVERE TROPICAL STORM FAYE, SEVERE TROPICAL STORM GORDON AND TYPHOON HOPE DEVELOPED OVER THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC AND THE SOUTH CHINA SEA.
TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING SIGNALS WERE HOISTED IN HONG KONG FOR TYPHOON ELLIS AND SEVERE TROPICAL STORM GORDON.
THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH WAS CLOUDY WITH OCCASIONAL HEAVY SHOWERS.
APART FROM A FEW ISOLATED SHOWERS, THE PERIOD JULY 2-4 WAS FINE AND HOT. THE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 33.8 DEGREES FOR THE MONTH WAS RECORDED ON JULY 5.
HOWEVER, THERE WERE SOME ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS ON JULY 5 AS SEVERE TROPICAL STORM ELLIS MOVED CLOSE TO HONG KONG, WITH WINDS BECOMING STRONG EASTERLY IN THE AFTERNOON AND THEN MODERATED SHORTLY AFTERWARDS.
MORE FREQUENT SHOWERS OCCURRED DURING THE NIGHT AND EARLY ON JULY 6 BUT CONDITIONS SOON IMPROVED IN THE AFTERNOON.
FROM JULY 7 TO 28, THERE WAS A LONG SPELL OF FINE AND HOT CONDITIONS WITH BRILLIANT SUNSHINE AND DAILY MEAN TEMPERATURE OF AROUND 30 DEGREES.
THE SUNNY PERIOD CAME TO AN END AS SEVERE TROPICAL STORM GORDON APPROACHED FROM THE EAST. WEATHER BECAME CLOUDY WITH SOME SHOWERS ON JULY 29.
IN THE EARLY MORNING OF JULY 30, WEST-SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS BECAME STRONG FOR A FEW HOURS OFFSHORE.
WHILE GORDON WAS CROSSING SOUTHERN GUANGDONG (KWANGTUNG) AND WEAKENING, VIOLENT SHOWERS AND PERIODS OF RAIN OCCURRED ON JULY 30.
/THE HEAVIEST