XN000022-1976-02-03 — Page 2

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1976

SEPTEMBER WAS WARMER AND MUCH DRIER THAN USUAL. TWO TROPICAL CYCLONES CAME NEAR ENOUGH TO NECESSITATE THE DISPLAY OF CYCLONE WARNING SIGNALS. THE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH, 33.9 DEGREES CELSIUS, WAS THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE RECORDED FOR THE WHOLE YEAR.

TEMPERATURES IN OCTOBER WERE NEAR NORMAL BUT HUMIDITY WAS UNSEASONABLY HIGH. WARNING SIGNALS WERE HOISTED FOR THREE TROPICAL CYCLONES. THE MONTH'S TOTAL RAINFALL OF 465.6 MM. WAS ABOUT THREE AND A HALF TIMES MORE THAN USUAL. IN THE MONTH, HURRICANE SIGNAL NO. 10 WAS HOISTED WHEN TYPHOON ELSIE CAME NEAR. THIS WAS THE FIRST HOISTING OF NO. 10 SIGNAL SINCE 1971.

NOVEMBER WAS MUCH DRIER THAN USUAL. AS A RESULT OF AN INTENSE SURGE OF THE WINTER MONSOON, TEMPERATURE BEGAN TO FALL FROM NOVEMBER 22. THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 8.5 DEGREES CELSIUS RECORDED IN THE MORNING OF NOVEMBER 24 WAS THE LOWEST FOR ANY NOVEMBER SINCE 1922 AND RANKED FOURTH LOWEST ON RECORD.

SEVERE OUTBREAKS OF THE WINTER MONSOON ASSOCIATED WITH AN EXCEPTIONALLY INTENSE CONTINENTAL ANTICYCLONE CENTRED OVER SIBERIA RESULTED IN VERY COLD WEATHER IN DECEMBER. THE MEAN TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH WAS ONLY 14.5 DEGREES CELSIUS, THE LOWEST ON RECORD FOR DECEMBER. ANOTHER RECORD SET WAS THE MONTH'S LOWEST TEMPERATURE OF 4.3 DEGREES CELSIUS. THIS WAS THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE OF THE YEAR AS WELL AS A NEW RECORD FOR DECEMBER. SNOW WAS REPORTED AT TAI MO SHAN WHILE ICE AND FROST WERE FREQUENTLY OBSERVED ON HIGH GROUND THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD FROM DECEMBER 13 TO 17.

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