XN000022-1975-03-17 — Page 2

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MONDAY, MARCH 17, 1975

FEBRUARY WARMER THAN USUAL

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THE WEATHER LAST MONTH WAS WARMER. SUNNIER AND DRIER THAN USUAL WITH A TOTAL OF 35.7 MM OF RAINFALL WHICH IS 11.2 MM BELOW THE NORMAL AVERAGE FOR FEBRUARY.

DURING THE MONTH, ACCORDING TO THE MONTHLY WEATHER REPORT ISSUED BY THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY, THERE WAS ONLY ONE MAJOR OUTBREAK OF THE WINTER MONSOON. THIS HAD CAUSED THE HOISTING OF THE STRONG MONSOON SIGNAL BETWEEN 3.20 A.M. AND 4 P.M. ON FEBRUARY 13.

THE MONTH'S WEATHER BEGAN WITH A CLOUDY AND MISTY CONDITION WHICH PERSISTED FOR ONE WEEK.

DURING THIS PERIOD, VISIBILITY AT THE AIRPORT AND IN THE APPROACHES TO THE HARBOUR WAS REDUCED TO LESS THAN 300 METRES ON MANY OCCASIONS. THE FOGGY WEATHER RESULTED IN TEN FLIGHT DIVERSIONS.

ON THE AFTERNOON OF FEBRUARY 7, THE FOG AND MIST WAS CLEARED BY A COLD FRONT WHICH CROSSED THE COAST OF HONG KONG.

THE COLD FRONT ALSO BROUGHT PERIODS OF RAIN WHICH PERSISTED UNTIL FEBRUARY 19, AND CAUSED THE TEMPERATURE TO DIP TO 12.4 DEGREES CELSIUS ON THE MORNING OF FEBRUARY 10 THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE RECORDED FOR THE MONTH.

DRY.

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WEATHER IN THE LATER HALF OF THE MONTH WAS MAINLY FINE AND

THE YELLOW OR RED FIRE DANGER WARNINGS WERE IN FORCE ON 12 DAYS OF THE MONTH.

DURING THE MONTH, THERE WERE NO TROPICAL CYCLONES OVER THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC AND THE SOUTH CHINA SEA.

NOTE TO EDITORS

A FULL REPORT ON FEBRUARY'S WEATHER PREPARED BY THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY WILL BE DISTRIBUTED SEPARATELY IN THE G.I.S. PRESS BOXES LATER THIS EVENING.

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