Page 363
Enclosure in Governor's despatch No. 38 of 6th Feby. '93. (with six spare copies)
HONGKONG,
No. 3.
REPORT ON THE EFFECTS OF THE LATE FROSTS ON VEGETATION.
BOTANIC GARDENS, HONGKONG, 4th February, 1893,
SIR--The unprecedented cold weather which the region about Hongkong was recently subjected to calls for some notice to be taken of it by this department so far as things with which the department is concerned were affected by the severely low temperature which was experienced; therefore, I have the honour to submit a brief report which it may be considered useful to put on record. Records of experiences of meteorological phenomena such as we have just had, besides being of passing interest, are so frequently of use in practical dealings with various subjects that for this reason opportunities to record unusual phenomena should not be neglected. It does not, however, come within the province of this department to go much further into the meteorological aspects of the subject than is demanded in connection with its injurious effects on vegetation.
2. After a period of ordinary Hongkong dry, cool weather, rain fell on the 13th January and continued daily up to the 16th instant. In the Gardens, at 300 feet above sea level, the following quantities of rain were registered with a Glaisher's rain gauge:-
January 14, .35
15, .46
16, .45
17, .1
3. On the 15th instant, the temperature fell in the afternoon to 39° Fahrenheit, thermometer at 350 feet above sea level. On the 16th, at 9 A.M., it stood at 35°. On the 17th, the thermometer stood at 31° at 9 A.M., which was the lowest temperature observed at the Gardens. During this period, the sky was overcast except for a short time about noon on the 17th, but on the morning of the 18th, it was clear and the sun shone brightly throughout the day, the temperature having risen to 43° at 4 P.M.
4. Unfortunately, there are no official records of temperature at Victoria Peak, 1,818 feet above sea level, but, by such information as could be obtained from private observers in the hill district and observations made here, it seems that the temperature must have fallen at the summit to about 25° or 24° F.
5. On the river at Canton, and en route between this port and that place, low temperatures were recorded in the reports of the steam-ships Powan and Honam. They gave-
January 16th at 1 A.M. 23° about 28 miles below Canton.
„ at 10 A.M. 26° about 25 miles from Hongkong.
„ at 1 P.M. 25° at Canton.
18th at 10 A.M. 28° about 25 miles from Hongkong.
I am indebted to the Office of the Hongkong, Canton and Macao Steamboat Company for these returns.
6. On the peninsula of Kowloon, the cold appears to have been greater than in Hongkong; ice was seen on pools of water in the roads within 50 feet of sea level, and at the Kowloon Docks, ice was observed at the bottom, 30 feet below sea level, of an empty dock.
7. In the harbour, the rigging of ships was coated with ice.
8. Since the Observatory records began in 1884, the temperature has not fallen, until now, at the Observatory, below 40° F. I remember on one occasion, I think about 17 years ago, ice was found at Victoria Peak, but there is no record within my experience, which extends back nearly 22 years, when ice was observed below 1,700 feet altitude.
9. The continued low temperature combined with fall of rain from an apparently warmer stratum of air above resulted in the formation of ice varying in quantity from a thin coating on the upper leaves of pine trees growing at 300 feet above sea level to a thick encasement of perfectly transparent solid ice of 5 inches in circumference on the blades and bents of grass at the summit of Victoria Peak. The grass bents themselves, which were the foundation on which the ice accumulated, were not more than an eighth of an inch in diameter, yet the formation of ice was so gradual that with the enormous accumulation of ice, which became its own support, the bents retained their natural upright, for but slightly pendent position. These large accumulations of ice were on the windward side of the hill where rain drifted, but even on the lea side, the average coating of ice was about 3 inches in circumference.
Page 363
j
97363
Enclosure / in Governor dir Wr. 363 Robinson's despatch N. 38 of 6th Feby. /93. with six spare copies) HONGKONG,
No. 3.
REPORT ON THE EFFECTS OF THE LATE FROSTS ON VEGETATION.
BOTANIC GARDENS, HONGKONG, 4th February, 1893,
SIR--The unprecedented cold weather which the region about Hongkong was recently subjected to calls for some notice to be taken of it by this department so far as things with which the department is concerned were affected by the severely low temperature which was experiencel, therefore I have the honour to submit a brief report which it may be considered useful to put on record. Records of experiences of meteorological phenomena such as we have just had besides being of passing interest are so frequently of use in practical dealings with various subjects that for this reason opportunities to record unusual phenomena should not be neglected. It does not, however, come within the province of this department to go much further into the meteorological aspects of the subject than is demanded in connection with its injurious effects on vegetation.
2. After a period of ordinary Hongkong dry, cool weather rain fell on the 13th January and continued daily up to the 16th instant. In the Gardens, at 300 feet above sea level, the following quantities of rain were registered with a Gluisher's rain gauge :-
January 14,
99
15, 16,
17.
:1
M
.35
.46
.45
}
3. On the 15th instant the temperature fell in the afternoon to 39° Fahrenheit, thermometer at 350 feet above sea level. On the 16th, at 9 A.M., it stood at 35°. On the 17th the thermometer stood at 31° at 9 a.. which was the lowest temperature observed at the Gardens. During this period the sky was overcast except for a short time about noon on the 17th, but on the morning of the 18th it was clear and the sun shone brightly throughout the day, the temperature having risen to 13° at 4 P.M,
4. Unfortunately there are no official records of temperature at Victoria Peak, 1,818 feet above sen level, but, by such information as could be obtained from private observers in the hill district and observations mide here, it seems that the temperature must lave fallen at the summit to about 25° or 24° F.
5. On the river at Canton, and en route between this port and that place, low temperatures were recorded in the reports of the steam-ships Powan and Honam. They gave-
January 16th at 1 A.M. 23° about 28 miles below Canton.
:1
#
at 10 A.M. 26 about 25 miles from Hongkong.
at 1 P.M. 25° at Canton.
18th at 10 A.M. 28 about 25 miles from Hongkong.
I am indebted to the Office of the Hougkong, Canton and Macao Steamboat Company for these
returns.
6. On the peninsula of Kowloon the cold appears to have been greater than in Hongkong, ice was seen on pools of water in the roads within 50 feet of sea level, and at the Kowloon Docks ice was observed at the bottom. 30 feet below sea level, of an empty dock.
7. In the harbour the rigging of ships was coated with ice.
8. Since the Observatory records began in 1884 the temperature has not fallen, until now, at the Observatory, below 40° F. I remember on one occasion, I think about 17 years ago, ice was found at Victoria Peak, but there is no record within my experience, which extends back nearly 22 years, when ice was observed below 1,700 feet altitude.
9. The continued low temperature combined with fall of rain from an apparently warmer stratum of air above resulted in the formation of ice varying in quantity from a thin coating on the upper leaves of pine trees growing at 300 feet above sea level to a thick encasement of perfectly transparent solid ice of 5 inches in circunference on the blades and bents of grass at the summit of Victoria Peak. The grass bents themselves, which were the foundation on which the ice accumulated, were not more than an eighth of an inch in diameter, yet the formation of ice was so gradual that with the enormous accumulation of ice, which became its own support, the bents retained their natural upright, for but slightly pendent position. These large accumulations of ice were on the windward side of the hill where rain drifted, but even on the lea side the average coating of ice was about 3 inches in
circumference.
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