XN000022-1976-10-18 — Page 7

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1976

A CLOUDY SEPTEMBER FOR HONG KONG

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HONG KONG EXPERIENCED A CLOUDY SEPTEMBER LAST MONTH WHEN THE TOTAL DURATION OF BRIGHT SUNSHINE WAS ONLY 147 HOURS, THE SEVENTH LOWEST ON RECORD FOR ANY SEPTEMBER.

THE STRONG MONSOON SIGNAL WAS HOISTED THREE TIMES DURING THE MONTH FOR A TOTAL PERIOD OF 148 HOURS AND 15 MINUTES, A NEW RECORD FOR ANY MONTH SINCE THE WARNING SYSTEM WAS FIRST INTRODUCED

IN 1956.

THE TOTAL RAINFALL WAS 204.7 MM, WHICH WAS 27 PER CENT BELOW NORMAL. HOWEVER, THE ACCUMULATED TOTAL RAINFALL SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR WAS SIX PER CENT ABOVE NORMAL.

IN TERMS OF TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY, LAST MONTH WAS VERY CLOSE TO NORMAL. THE HOTTEST DAY OF THE MONTH FELL ON SEPTEMBER 8 WHEN A MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 32.6 DEGREES CELSIUS WAS RECORDED. THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE OF 21.9 DEGREES CELSIUS WAS RECORDED ON SEPTEMBER 23.

FIRE DANGER WARNINGS WERE IN FORCE BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 11 AND SEPTEMBER 14.

DURING THE MONTH, FIVE TROPICAL CYCLONES DEVELOPED OVER THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC AND THE SOUTH CHINA SEA, BUT ONLY TYPHOON

IRIS AFFECTED HONG KONG AND NECESSITATED THE HOISTING OF TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING SIGNALS,

THE WEATHER WAS GENERALLY FINE, SUNNY AND WARM DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF THE MONTH, WITH SOME SHOWERS AND A FEW ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ON SEPTEMBER 8. APART FROM ONE OR TWO ISOLATED SHOWERS ON SEPTEMBER 9 AND 10, THE WEATHER WAS MAINLY FINE, SUNNY AND DRY UNTIL SEPTEMBER 16.

SCATTERED SHOWERS SET IN ON SEPTEMBER 18 AND THE WEATHER REMAINED UNSETTLED WITH OCCASIONAL SHOWERS DURING THE FOLLOWING FIVE DAYS. THERE WAS A SLIGHT IMPROVEMENT ON SEPTEMBER 24 BUT CONDITIONS DETERIORATED AGAIN FROM THE NEXT DAY ONWARDS AND THERE WERE PERIODS OF RAIN UNTIL THE LAST DAY OF THE MONTH.

DUE TO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, 10 AIRCRAFT WERE DIVERTED FROM HONG KONG DURING THE MONTH. NO THUNDERSTORM OR HEAVY RAIN WARNINGS WERE ISSUED.

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