THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1979
2
TYPHOON HOPE DUMPS RECORD HOURLY RAINFALL IN AUGUST
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THE HOURLY RAINFALL OF 82.1 MM RECORDED DURING THE PASSAGE OF TYPHOON HOPE ON AUGUST 2 WAS THE HIGHEST ON RECORD FOR AUGUST, ACCORDING TO THE MONTHLY WEATHER REPORT RELEASED BY THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY TODAY (THURSDAY).
THE HURRICANE SIGNAL NO. 10 WAS HOISTED WHEN TYPHOON HOPE STRUCK ON AUGUST 2 THE FIRST TIME SINCE TYPHOON ELSIE IN OCTOBER, 1975.
AUGUST WAS WETTER AND LESS SUNNY THAN USUAL WITH THE TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTING TO 706.9 MM, WHICH IS 286.7 MM ABOVE AVERAGE AND ALSO THE SEVENTH HIGHEST ON RECORD FOR THE MONTH.
THE ACCUMULATED RAINFALL SO FAR THIS YEAR (UNTIL AUGUST 31) WAS 2 097 MM, WHICH IS 20 PER CENT ABOVE AVERAGE. THE TOTAL DURATION OF SUNSHINE OF 138.2 HOURS WAS THE FOURTH LOWEST ON RECORD FOR AUGUST.
ANOTHER RECORD SET FOR THE MONTH WAS THE MINIMUM INSTANTANEOUS MEAN SEA LEVEL PRESSURE OF 961.6 MILLIBARS. IT WAS RECORDED AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY ON AUGUST 2.
DURING THE MONTH, SIX TROPICAL CYCLONES DEVELOPED OVER THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC AND THE SOUTH CHINA SEA, AND TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING SIGNALS WERE HOISTED IN HONG KONG FOR TWO OF THEM.
ON AUGUST 1, THE WEATHER WAS FINE, SUNNY AND HOT. IT BECAME CLOUDY THE FOLLOWING MORNING AND SOME SLIGHT SHOWERS SET IN AS TYPHOON HOPE CAME CLOSER TO HONG KONG.
WINDS WERE STRONG NORTHERLY IN THE EARLY MORNING OF AUGUST 2, TURNED NORTHWESTERLY SHORTLY AFTERWARDS AND STRENGTHENED RAPIDLY TO NEAR-GALE FORCE ABOUT NOON, ACCOMPANIED WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN.
VIOLENT SQUALLY SHOWERS OCCURRED WHILE THE CENTRE OF HOPE WAS CROSSING THE NEW TERRITORIES. WINDS SOON DROPPED BELOW HURRICANE FORCE AND GALES FROM THE SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST LASTED FOR A FEW MORE HOURS.
THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF THE MONTH OF 23.5 DEGREES WAS RECORDED IN THE AFTERNOON.
SHOWERS BECAME LIGHTER AND LESS FREQUENT DURING THE NIGHT AND WINDS MODERATED ON THE MORNING OF AUGUST 3 AS HOPE WAS MOVING AWAY FROM HONG KONG, OCCASIONAL HEAVY SHOWERS PERSISTED ON AUGUST 34.
AFTER A FINE AND SUNNY DAY, CONDITIONS BECAME CLOUDY AGAIN ON AUGUST 6 WITH SOME ISOLATED SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON.
OWING TO THE INFLUENCE OF TWO TROPICAL DEPRESSIONS CENTRED OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA. THERE WAS A SPELL OF WET WEATHER WHICH LASTED UNTIL AUGUST 12. HEAVY SHOWERS OCCURRED EVERY DAY DURING THIS PERIOD.
/CONDITIONS IMPROVED.....