XN000022-1975-09-20 — Page 4

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1975

AUGUST WEATHER ROUND-UP

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THE WEATHER OF AUGUST WAS WETTER THAN USUAL WITH FREQUENT HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. AS A RESULT, THE MONTH'S TOTAL RAINFALL EXCEEDED THE AVERAGE FIGURE FOR AUGUST BY 24 PER CENT.

THE ACCUMULATED RAINFALL FOR THE FIRST EIGHT MONTHS OF THE YEAR STOOD AT 2,400 MM 39 PER CENT ABOVE THE NORMAL AMOUNT FOR THE SAME PERIOD.

A TOTAL OF SIX TROPICAL CYCLONES WAS REPORTED OVER THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC AND THE SOUTH CHINA SEA IN AUGUST. TYPHOONS NINA” AND 'ORA' DEVELOPED TO THE SOUTHEAST OF TAIWAN AND CROSSED THE EAST COAST OF CHINA NEAR AMOY AND WENCHOW RESPECTIVELY CAUSING SERIOUS FLOODS IN CENTRAL CHINA.

TYPHOON PHYLLIS' FORMED NEAR THE RYUKYU ISLANDS AND TYPHOON 'RITA' OVER CAROLINE ISLANDS, BOTH MOVED NORTH AND DEVASTATED JAPAN, LEAVING WIDESPREAD DAMAGE AND HEAVY DEATH TOLLS.

TROPICAL STORM 'SUSAN' FORMED EAST OF IWO JIMA BUT DISSIPATED WITHOUT ENTERING LAND. ONLY ONE TROPICAL CYCLONE, A TROPICAL DEPRESSION, NECESSITATED THE HOISTING OF WARNING SIGNALS IN HONG KONG.

IN HONG KONG, THE STANDBY SIGNAL NO. 1 WAS HOISTED ON AUGUST 10 WHEN THE DEPRESSION WAS CENTRED ABOUT 220 MILES SOUTH OF HONG KONG. IT WAS LOWERED ON THE FOLLOWING DAY. HOWEVER, IN THAT EVENING, THE TROPICAL DEPRESSION SLOWED DOWN NEAR THE SOUTHWESTERN TIP OF HAINAN ISLAND AND THEN REVERSED ITS COURSE MOVING TOWARDS THE PEARL RIVER ESTUARY.

ON AUGUST 13, THE STANDBY SIGNAL NO. 1 WAS AGAIN HOISTED WHICH WAS LATER REPLACED BY THE STRONG WIND SIGNAL NO. 3. ALL SIGNALS WERE LOWERED ON AUGUST 14 WHEN THE DEPRESSION DEGENERATED INTO AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE NEAR CANTON.

ON THE AFTERNOON OF AUGUST 23 THE AIR TEMPERATURE ROSE TO 32.8 DEGREES CELSIUS WHICH WAS THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE RECORDED FOR THE MONTH. THE MONTH'S LOWEST TEMPERATURE WAS RECORDED ON AUGUST 30 WHEN THE AIR TEMPERATURE DROPPED TO 23.0 DEGREES CELSIUS.

DURING THE MONTH, THERE WAS ONLY ONE AIRCRAFT DIVERTED FROM THE KAI TAK AIRPORT DUE TO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND NO FIRE DANGER WARNINGS WERE ISSUED.

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