XN000022-1975-06-21 — Page 3

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MAY WEATHER ROUND-UP ****

SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 1975.

HONG KONG EXPERIENCED MORE RAIN THAN USUAL DURING THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF THIS YEAR WHEN A TOTAL OF 1069.5 MM OF RAINFALL WAS RECORDED BY THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY.

THIS WAS NEARLY 85 PER CENT MORE THAN THE NORMAL RAINFALL FOR THIS PERIOD, AND WAS MATLY DUE TO THE EXCEPTIONALLY HEAVY RAINS IN APRIL AND MAY.

DURING MAY ALONE, A TOTAL OF 571.5 MM OF RAINFALL WAS RECORDED WHICH WAS NEARLY DOUBLE THE AVERAGE FOR THE MONTH. ALMOST HALF THIS AMOUNT FELL ON MAY 20 WITH RAINFALL THAT DAY AMOUNTING TO 215.7 1. WHICH WAS THE SEVENTH HIGHEST DAILY RAINFALL RECORDED IN MAY SINCE 1884.

THE MONTH'S WEATHER WAS MAINLY. INFLUENCED BY ACTIVE TROUGHS OF LOW PRESSURE LINGERING ALONG THE SOUTH CHINA COAST AND THE NORTHERN PART OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA. AS A RESULT, FREQUENT HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRED, NECESSITATING THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAIN WARNINGS TO BE ISSUED ON 19 DAYS OF THE MONTH.

MAY WAS ALSO WARMER BUT LESS SUNNY THAN USUAL. SUNSHINE AMOUNTED TO 123.3 JRS, 32.8 HOURS BELOW NORMAL. THE MONTH'S HIGHEST TEMPERATURE OF 31.7 DEGREES CELSIUS WAS RECORDED DURING THE AFTERNOON OF MAY 4 AND THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE OF 22.0 DEGREES CELSIUS ON MAY 7.

DURING THE MONTH, FOUR AIRCRAFT WERE DIVERTED FROM HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT DUE TO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

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NO FIRE WARNINGS WERE ISSUED DURING THE MONTH AND NO TROPICAL CYCLONES WERE REPORTED OVER THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC AND SOUTH CHINA SEA.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

COPIES OF THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY'S FULL WEATHER REPORT FOR MAY 1975 ARE AVAILABLE FOR COLLECTION FROM THE GIS PRESS ROOM, 6TH FLOOR, BEACONSFIELD HOUSE.

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