M 132
The Rains, when they come in April or May, are typically heavy but not continuous; the sunshine figures for these months being quite high. There are serious periods of drought from September to March, when the reservoir water-supply gets very low, and Public Health is menaced.
Mists and low-lying clouds are frequent throughout the year and have a peculiar, depressing effect, mentally and physically. In addition, a smoky haze frequently hangs over the City of Victoria and the carbon particles in the air are dense enough to cut off most of the ultra-violet sun-rays from the deep, narrow streets.
This Smoke nuisance is a serious menace to health, as well as having a destructive effect on property. The deposit of soot on the North-East side of the Island must be considerable in 24 hours. The two chief causes of this are the harbour shipping (especially small steamcraft, with inferior coal or bad stoking) and the large number of wood fires used for cooking in the Chinese quarter. More often than not, a kitchen flue and chimney are not used. The conformation of the land and the prevailing winds cause this smoke to drift over the town and settle on it like a cap. This can be best appreciated when Hong Kong is viewed from a distance in the clear atmosphere of the surrounding islands.
With its mists, high humidity, overcrowded, smoke and dust-laden streets, it can be well understood how Lung affections head the mortality lists and far exceed all other causes of ill-health in the city.
On the other hand, some of the Autumn and Winter months are almost perfect: being dry, clear, cool and sunny. A cold, North or North-East wind may, however, arise and cause a sudden drop in the temperature, so that "colds" and other results of "chill" are by no means rare.
The Peak (reserved for Europeans), 1,774 feet above sea-level, provides relief in the form of a lower night temperature but this is somewhat counterbalanced by the clouds and drenching mists which so frequently envelop the hill-tops.
It is, perhaps, the definite seasonal changes which render the Colony more tolerable to Europeans than many other places on the same latitude.
M 132
The Rains, when they come in April or May, are typically heavy but not continuous; the sunshine figures for these months being quite high. There are serious periods of drought from September to March, when the reservoir water- supply gets very low, and Public Health is menaced.
Mists and low-lying clouds are frequent throughout the year and have a peculiar, depressing effect, mentally and physically. In addition, a smoky haze frequently hangs over the City of Victoria and the carbon particles in the air are dense enough to cut off most of the ultra-violet sun-rays from the deep, narrow streets.
This Smoke nuisance is a serious menace to health, as well as having a destructive effect on property. The deposit of soot on the North-East side of the Island must be consider- able in 24 hours. The two chief causes of this are the harbour shipping (especially small steamcraft, with inferior coal or bad stoking) and the large number of wood fires used for cooking in the Chinese quarter. More often than not, a kitchen Alue and chimney are not used. The conformation of the land and the prevailing winds cause this smoke to drift over the town and settle on it like a cap. This can be best appreciated when Hong Kong is viewed from a distance in the clear atmosphere of the surrounding islands.
With its mists; high humidity; overcrowded, smoke and dustladen streets, it can be well understood how Lung affections head the mortality lists and far exceed all other causes of ill-health in the city.
On the other hand, some of the Autumn and Winter months are almost perfect: being drv, clear, cool and sunny A cold, North or North-East wind may, however, arise and cause a sudden drop in the temperature. so that "colds" and other results of "chill" are by no means rare.
The Peak (reserved for Europeans), 1.774 feet above sea- level, provides relief in the form of a lower night temperature but this is somewhat counterbalanced by the clouds and drenching mists which so frequently envelop the hill-tops.
It is, perhaps, the definite seasonal changes which render the Colony more tolerable to Europeans than many other places on the same latitude.
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