SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1987
WARM AND SUNNY START TO THE YEAR
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THE YEAR 1987 GOT OFF TO A WARM AND SUNNY START, WITH A MEAN TEMPERATURE OF 17.3 DEGREES CELSIUS, MAKING IT THE SIXTH WARMEST JANUARY ON RECORD, THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY REVEALED TODAY.
THE WARM CONDITIONS - 1.7 DEGREES CELSIUS ABOVE NORMAL - WERE PARTLY DUE TO THE AMPLE AMOUNT OF SUNSHINE DURING THE MONTH - 19 PER CENT ABOVE NORMAL.
DESPITE THE GENERALLY WARM AND SUNNY WEATHER, NEW YEAR'S DAY WAS WINDY AND CLOUDY WITH A TRACE OF RAIN.
AS A COLD FRONT FORMED ACROSS SOUTH CHINA ON JANUARY 2, WINDS LOCALLY MODERATED AND TURNED TO SOUTH OF EAST.
THE WEATHER WAS MISTY WITH DRIZZLE ON JANUARY 2 AND 3- VISIBILITIES OF 1 000 METRES WERE RECORDED AT WAGLAN ISLAND ON THE MORNING OF JANUARY 3.
THE COLD FRONT PASSED THROUGH HONG KONG THE NEXT DAY AND
BROUGHT OVERCAST SKIES AND RAIN TO THE TERRITORY.
ON JANUARY 5, HOWEVER, THE WEATHER TURNED SUNNY WITH THE ONSET OF DRIER CONTINENTAL AIR AND IT REMAINED RELATIVELY WARM AND SUNNY FOR THE NEXT SIX DAYS.
ANOTHER SURGE OF WINTER MONSOON REACHED HONG KONG ON JANUARY 11 BRINGING FRESH TO STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS.
THE DRY WINTER MONSOON KEPT JANUARY 12 TO 14 MAINLY FINE WITH COOL NIGHTS WHILE WARMER WEATHER PREVAILED FROM JANUARY 15 TO 17.
IT TURNED CLOUDY ON JANUARY 18 WITH SOME LIGHT RAIN LATE IN THE EVENING.
MIST PATCHES DEVELOPED THE NEXT MORNING BUT WERE CLEARED IN THE AFTERNOON WITH THE PASSAGE OF A WEAK COLD FRONT.
WINDS STRENGTHENED FROM THE EAST ON JANUARY 20 AND SKIES BECAME OVERCAST WITH THE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE REACHING ONLY 16.5 DEGREES CELSIUS.
SUNNY PERIODS PREVAILED OVER THE NEXT TWO DAYS WITH AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES RISING TO 23.9 DEGREES CELSIUS ON JANUARY 23, THE HIGHEST FOR THE MONTH.
HOWEVER, AN INTENSE SURGE OF WINTER MONSOON ARRIVED IN THE TERRITORY AROUND MIDNIGHT AND STRONG MONSOON WINDS AFFECTED OFFSHORE WATERS OVERNIGHT.
/CONTINUAL