XN000022-1976-11-13 — Page 4

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1976

HUMID AND CLOUDY OCTOBER

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HONG KONG EXPERIENCED A HUMID AND CLOUDY MONTH IN OCTOBER.

THE MEAN RELATIVE HUMIDITY - 78 PER CENT - RANKED THE TENTH HIGHEST FOR ANY OCTOBER SINCE 1884 WHILE THE TOTAL DURATION OF BRIGHT SUNSHINE - 151.9 HOURS WAS THE SIXTH LOWEST ON RECORD FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER.

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THE TOTAL RAINFALL LAST MONTH WAS ABOUT 35 PER CENT BELOW NORMAL BUT THE ACCUMULATED RAINFALL SINCE JANUARY 1 THIS YEAR WAS STILL 4 PER CENT ABOVE AVERAGE.

THE WEATHER FOR THE FIRST THREE DAYS OF THE MONTH WAS FINE AND SUNNY, AN EASTERLY SURGE ARRIVED ON OCTOBER 4, BRINGING CLOUDIER CONDITIONS TO HONG KONG IN THE NEXT FOUR DAYS.

AN INTENSE ANTICYCLONE WHICH DEVELOPED OVER NORTH CHINA THEN BROUGHT A SPELL OF FINE, SUNNY AND DRY WEATHER, WHICH LASTED UNTIL OCTOBER 14, AND FIRE DANGER WARNINGS WERE IN FORCE CONTINUOUSLY DURING THIS PERIOD.

THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY A PERIOD OF CLOUDY AND HUMID WEATHER WITH OCCASIONAL LIGHT RAIN DUE TO THE PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT EARLY ON OCTOBER 14.

TEMPERATURE FELL SLOWLY AND THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF THE MONTH WAS 20.8 DEGREES CELSIUS RECORDED ON THE MORNING OF OCTOBER 21.

HOWEVER, TEMPERATURE ROSE RAPIDLY AS WINDS TURNED SOUTHERLY ON OCTOBER 22 AND FINALLY REACHED 29.9 DEGREES CELSIUS ON THE AFTERNOON OF OCTOBER 23, WHICH WAS THE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH.

FOR THE REMAINING PERIOD OF THE MONTH, THE WEATHER WAS MAINLY UNSETTLED.

ONLY ONE TROPICAL CYCLONE WAS REPORTED OVER THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC IN THE MONTH AND NO AIRCRAFT WERE DIVERTED FROM THE HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT DUE TO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

A HEAVY RAIN WARNING WAS ISSUED AT 7.30 A.M. ON OCTOBER 23 FOR A PERIOD OF SIX HOURS.

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