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Weather of March
March 1996 was slightly warmer than normal, the monthly mean temperature of 19.7 degrees was 1.2 degrees above the normal figure.
There was rain everyday from March 9 till the end of the month, and the total rainfall for the month amounted to 83.1 millimetres, 16.2 millimetres above normal. The hourly rainfall recorded between 8 and 9 a.m. on March 29 reached 37.8 millimetres, the fourth highest for March. However, the accumulated rainfall since January 1, 111.6 millimetres, was still 19 per cent below the normal figure for the same period.
Fine weather prevailed during the first seven days of the month. As winds became light and variable on March 7, coastal fog occurred on the early hours the next day. A high-speed catamaran collided with a tug boat off Shek Kwu Chau that morning injuring four people.
An easterly surge of the winter monsoon arrived early on March 9. Winds strengthened and the weather turned cloudy with light rain patches. A further replenishment of the winter monsoon brought northerly winds that evening and temperatures fell to 10.8 degrees the next morning, the lowest for the month. It remained cool and overcast till March 13.
A warm southerly airstream replaced the northeasterly on the evening of March 14. It persisted for the next four days and brought the temperatures up to 28.5 degrees, the highest in the month, on March 17. Coastal fog occurred that evening. This was quickly cleared by an easterly surge of the winter monsoon the next day. Temperatures fell to 16.4 degrees on the morning of March 19 from a maximum of 26.2 degrees the previous day and there was almost continuous light rain for the next couple of days.
Coastal fog returned on March 20 and continued up to March 22. In particular, the eastern part of the harbour was also affected by fog on the morning of March 22 and visibilities at the airport fell to 400 metres. Air and sea traffic were affected.
The arrival of a fresh easterly airstream brought brighter weather to the territory on March 24 and 25. Winds moderated on March 24 but freshened again from the east on March 26. A scaffolding collapsed in Tsuen Wan damaging two buses and injuring two passengers.