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SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 1987
THE RETURN OF THE TROUGH FROM THE SOUTH GAVE RISE TO SHOWERY CONDITIONS WITH MORNING THUNDERSTORMS ON MAY 20 AND 21.
AS A RESULT OF COOLER AIR FROM THE NORTH INTERACTING WITH THE MOISTURE-LADEN SOUTHWEST MONSOON OVER THE SOUTH CHINA COASTAL AREAS, TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR AND INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS BATTERED THE TERRITORY ON MAY 22. A TOTAL OF 107.5 MM OF RAIN WERE RECORDED THAT DAY AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY, SQUALLS UP TO 87 KM/H WERE REPORTED AT CHEUNG CHAU. AN AIRCRAFT WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING ABOUT 20 MINUTES AFTER TAKE OFF FROM KAI TAK AND WAS FORCED TO RETURN TO HONG KONG.
MORE THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRED ON THE MORNING OF MAY 23. THE HEAVY RAINSTORMS OF NAY 22 AND 23 CAUSED OVER 66 CASES OF FLOODING THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY AND AT LEAST SIX CASES OF MINOR LANDSLIPS.UNDER THE THREAT OF A MUÐSLIP A FAMILY OF FOUR IN WONG CHUK HANG WAS EVACUATED. A ROAD SUBSIDENCE OCCURRED IN MONG KOK.
FROM MAY 20 TO 24, SEVERE RAINSTORMS ALSO AFFECTED GUANGDONG WITH OVER 300 MM OF RAINFALL RECORDED IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE PROVINCE.
ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS, THE HEAVY RAIN CAUSED RIVER LEVELS TO RISE AND OVERFLOW, INUNDATING OVER 190,000 HECTARES OF FARMLAND. AS A RESULT, 92 PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND 414 PEOPLE WERE INJURED.
CONDITIONS REMAINED SHOWERY WITH SOME ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE NEXT THREE DAYS. SEVERE THUNDERSTROMS RECURRED ON MAY 27 AS A COLD FRONT DEVELOPED TO THE NORTH OF HONG KONG. THE COLD FRONT PASSED SOUTH ACROSS THE TERRITORY EARLY ON MAY 28 AND SLIGHTLY COOLER WEATHER WITH LIGHT RAIN PREVAILED UNTIL MAY 29. THE WEATHER IMPROVED WITH SUNNY PERIODS ON MAY 30 AND 31.
THERE WERE NO TROPICAL CYCLONES OVER THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC AND THE SOUTH CHINA SEA DURING THE MONTIL. IN MAY, SEVEN AIRCRAFT WERE DIVERTED FROM HONG KONG DUE TO ADVERSE WEATHER. THUNDERSTORN WARNINGS WERE ISSUED ON MAY 3, 7, 8, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27 AND 31. FLOOD WARNINGS WERE ISSUED ON MAY 17. 22 AND 23. A LANDSLIP WARNING WAS ISSUED ON MAY 22.
SIGNALS BOISTED DURING THE MONTH WERE AS FOLLOWS:
WEATHER SYSTEM
SIGNAL
DATE & TIME OF
HOISTING
DATE & TIME OF LOWERING
WINTER MONSOON STRONG MONSOON
MAY 3 3.15 PM
WINTER MONSOON STRONG MONSOON
MAY 1 5.00 PM
MAY 4 12.05 PM
MAY 5 4.00 AM
THE MONTH'S