XN000022-1976-09-21 — Page 3

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1976

YEAR

MAXIMUM RAINFALL (MM)

1-HOUR

6-HOURS

12-HOURS

24-HOURS

2-DAYS

1976

51.5

168.6

292.1

416.2

511.6

1972

98.7

193.8

219.8

280.1

446,4

1966

108.2

318.8

340.0

401.2

460.4

HIGHEST ON

108.2

430.6

526.7

697.1

841.2

RECORD

DATE

12 JUNE

1966

19 JULY

1926

12 JULY

1926

30 MAY 1889

30 MAY

1889

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT ALTHOUGH TROPICAL STORM ELLEN BROUGHT PROLONGED PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN, IT WAS NOT THE WETTEST RAINSTORM ON RECORD.

TURNING TO TIME DISTRIBUTION OF RAINFALL, HE SAID THAT THERE WERE TWO PERIODS OF PARTICULARLY HEAVY RAIN ONE BETWEEN 11 P.M. ON AUGUST 24 AND 3 A.M. ON AUGUST 25 AND THE OTHER BETWEEN 7 A.M. AND 10 A.M. ON AUGUST 25.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT ONE INTERESTING FEATURE WAS THAT THE RAIN STOPPED ABRUPTLY AT ALL FOUR STATIONS - ROYAL OBSERVATORY. KING'S PARK. KAI TAK AIRPORT AND TATE'S CAIRN - AND THE LANDSLIP AT SAU MAU PING OCCURRED SHORTLY BEFORE THE VERY HEAVY RAIN CAME TO STOP. THIS FEATURE WAS ALSO OBSERVED IN THE 1966 AND 1972 RAINSTORMS.

ON DURATIONS OF RAINFALL, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE 1972 RAINSTORM LASTED LONGER THAN THE ONES IN 1966 AND 1976.

HOWEVER, ALL THE THREE STORMS PRODUCED VERY SIMILAR AMOUNTS OF RAINFALL IN THE FIRST 48 HOURS - FROM 420 MM IN 1972 TO 510 MM IN 1976.

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