SATURDAY, JULY 13, 1991
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JUNE RAINFALL NEAR NORMAL
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JUNE 1991 WAS THE SEVENTH WARMEST JUNE ON RECORD CONSIDERING THE MONTH'S MEAN TEMPERATURE OF 28.4 DEGREES AND THE MEAN MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 26.4 DEGREES, ACCORDING ΤΟ THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY'S MONTHLY WEATHER REPORT RELEASED TODAY (SATURDAY).
WAS ITS
THOUGH LESS SPECTACULAR BUT MORE SIGNIFICANT, HOWEVER, NEAR-NORMAL RAINFALL FOLLOWING A SUBSTANTIAL DEFICIT IN THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF THE YEAR.
THE MUCH NEEDED RAIN TOTALLED 371.7 MILLIMETRES IN THE MONTH AND REPRESENTED ABOUT 99 PER CENT OF THE JUNE NORMAL OF 376
MILLIMETRES.
NEVERTHELESS, THE FIRST HALF OF THIS YEAR WAS STILL MUCH DRIER THAN NORMAL, RANKING THE FIFTH DRIEST ON RECORD. THE TOTAL RAINFALL SINCE JANUARY 1 AMOUNTED TO 555.7 MILLIMETRES, ONLY 56 PBR CENT OF THE NORMAL OF 992.5 MILLIMETRES FOR THE SAME PERIOD.
UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A STRONG RIDGE OF
HIGH PRESSURE WHICH EXTENDED OVER SOUTHERN CHINA FROM THE PACIFIC, THE FINE SPELL IN LATE MAY CONTINUED INTO JUNE AND PERSISTED FOR THE FIRST SEVEN DAYS IN THE MONTH.
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WITH LONG PERIODS OF SUNSHINE, THE INTENSE HEAT REACHED CLIMAX ON JUNE 4. NOT ONLY WAS IT THE HOTTEST DAY OF THE YEAR 30
FAR, ITS DAILY MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 34.4 DEGREES ALSO RENDERED IT THE THIRD HOTTEST DAY ON RECORD FOR JUNE.
THE WEATHER DETERIORATED ON JUNE 8 WITH THE ONSET OF THE FIRST MAJOR RAINY EPISODE OF THE YEAR. CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT TRIGGERED BY ACTIVE SOUTHWEST MONSOON OVER THE NORTHERN PART OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA KEPT SPREADING TOWARDS THE SOUTH CHINA COASTAL AREAS.
RAINFALL RECORDED AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY DURING THE FOUR-DAY PERIOD FROM JUNE 8 TO 11 AMOUNTED TO ABOUT 250 MILLIMETRES WHICH WAS 36 PER CENT MORE THAN THAT RECORDED OVER THE WHOLE PERIOD FROM JANUARY TO MAY. THE HEAVIEST DOWNPOUR OCCURRED DURING THE DAY ON JUNE 9.
THERE WERE ALSO FREQUENT AND WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS WITH LIGHTNING AND SQUALLS. THE SQUALLS WERE MOST SEVERE IN THE EARLY HOURS OF JUNE 10 WHEN GUSTS OF 72 AND 96 KILOMETRES PER HOUR WERB REPORTED INSHORE AND OFFSHORE RESPECTIVELY.
AS A RESULT OF THE STORMY WEATHER, TREES WERE TOPPLED, MINOR FLOODING OCCURRED OVER VARIOUS PARTS OF THE TERRITORY AND A MUDSLIDE WAS REPORTED IN HONG KONG ISLAND.
THE WEATHER BECAME MORE SETTLED ON JUNE 12. AS THE MONSOON SUBSIDED AND THE PACIFIC RIDGE BECAME RE-ESTABLISHED OVER SOUTHERN CHINA, MAINLY FINE CONDITIONS PREVAILED TILL JUNK 18.
/HOWEVER, UNLIKE