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SUNDAY, JANUARY 30, 1983
1982 EVENTFUL YEAR OF WEATHER RECORDS
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THE WEATHER MADE 1982 AN EVENTFUL YEAR, CAUSING A NUMBER OF RECORDS AND NEAR RECORDS, INCLUDING THE HIGHEST YEARLY RAINFUL FIGURE OF 3 247.5 MM AND THE FIRST RECORDED TORNADO TO HIT HONG KONG.
IT ALSO BROUGHT HONG KONG THE WETTEST SINGLE MONTH OF AUGUST, WHEN 872 MM OF RAIN FELL, AS WELL AS THE WETTEST SINGLE DAY IN AUGUST, WHEN RAINFALL ROSE TO 334.2 MM ON AUGUST 16.
THE YEAR'S RAINFALL FIGURE WAS 46 PER CENT ABOVE NORMAL,
THESE ARE AMONG SOME OF THE WEATHER STATISTICS CONTAINED IN THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY'S ANNUAL REVIEW JUST RELEASED.
A NEAR-RECORD WAS ESTABLISHED WHEN 653.9 MM OF RAIN FELL FROM MAY 28 TO 31, THE SECOND HIGHEST FIGURE ON RECORD FOR A CONTINUOUS FOUR-DAY PERIOD IN MAY.
AS A RESULT OF THIS HEAVY RAINFALL, ROUND-THE-CLOCK WATER SUPPLY WAS RESUMED AFTER EIGHT MONTHS OF WATER RESTRICTIONS, THE REVIEW RECALLS.
BUT THE RAINSTORMS ALSO CAUSED SERIOUS FLOODING IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE NEW TERRITORIES, AS WELL AS LANDSLIDES IN MANY AREAS OF HONG KONG, KILLING 25 PEOPLE, INJURING 100 OTHERS AND MAKING OVER 8 000 PEOPLE HOMELESS.
IN ADDITION, ABOUT 700 000 HEAD OF POULTRY AND 10 000 PIGS WERE DROWNED, AND 1 000 HECTARES OF CROPS AND 400 HECTARES OF FISH PONDS INUNDATED.
ON JUNE 2, THE FIRST TORNADO EVER RECORDED IN HONG KONG STRUCK IN YUEN LONG, KILLING TWO PEOPLE AND INJURING FIVE OTHERS.
WIDESPREAD FLOODING AND NUMEROUS LANDSLIDES AGAIN OCCURRED BETWEEN AUGUST 15 AND 19 BECAUSE OF HEAVY RAINSTORMS.
FIVE PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND 1 460 RENDERED HOMELESS DURING THE PERIOD. FLOODING DISRUPTED ROAD AND FERRY SERVICES IN TSUEN WAN AND INUNDATED 450 HECTARES OF CROPS AND 310 HECTARES OF FISH PONDS IN THE NORTHWESTERN PART OF THE NEW TERRITORIES.
THE TOTAL RAINFALL OF 872 MM IN AUGUST AND THE SINGLE-DAY RAINFALL OF 334.2 MM ON AUGUST 16 WERE BOTH NEW RECORDS FOR THE MONTH.
ON AUGUST 18, A WATERSPOUT LANDED ON TSING YI ISLAND, DAMAGING A SHIPYARD.
TURNING TO OTHER WEATHER ISSUES, THE REVIEW REPORTS THAT 28 TROPICAL CYCLONES THAT RAGED OVER THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC AND THE CHINA SEAS DURING THE YEAR CAUSED HEAVY LOSSES OF LIFE AND PROPERTY IN SEVERAL ASIAN COUNTRIES.
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