XN000022-1974-08-12 — Page 2

LESS RAIN THIS YEAR

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KONDAY, AUGUST 12, 1974.

HONG KONG EXPERIENCED DRIER WEATHER THAN USUAL DURING THE FIRST SEVEN MONTHS OF THIS YEAR WITH THE ACCUMULATED TOTAL RAINFALL RUNNING ABOUT 25 PER CENT BELOU THE AVERAGE FIGURE FOR THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.

TOTAL RAINFALL RECORDED DURING THE PERIOD AMOUNTED TO ONLY 1,014.9 MM.

EXCEPT FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL, RAINFALL HAS BEEN BELOW NORMAL EVERY MONTH SO FAR THIS YEAR.

LAST MONTH'S TOTAL AMOUNTED TO 184.2 MM WHICH REPRESENTED ONLY HALF OF THE AVERAGE AMOUNT FOR JULY.

THE MONTH WAS ALSO SUNNIER, WARMER AND LESS HUMID THAT USUAL WITH A MEAN RELATIVE HUMIDITY OF 78 PER CENT WHICH WAS THE THIRD LOWEST ON RECORD FOR JULY.

DURING THE MONTH, FIVE TROPICAL CYCLONES FORMED IN THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC, BUT ONLY TYPHOON 'IVY' ENTERED THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND NECESSITATED THE HOISTING OF TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING SIGNALS IN HONG KONG.

A TOTAL OF 10 THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS WERE ISSUED DURING THE MONTH, BUT ONLY ONE AIRCRAFT WAS DIVERTED FROM HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT DUE TO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. NO FIRE DANGER WARNINGS WERE ISSUED DURING THE MONTH.

THE MONTH'S MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 33.2 DEGREES CELSIUS WAS RECORDED ON JULY 6, AND THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 22.8 DEGREES CELSIUS ON JULY 22.

NOTE TO EDITORS: A FULL WEATHER REPORT FOR JULY PREPARED BY THE

ROYAL OBSERVATORY WILL BE BOXED FOR COLLECTION LATER TODAY.

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