XN000022-1977-01-22 — Page 3

SATURDAY, JANUARY 22, 1977

HK EXPERIENCED A VERY COLD SPELL LAST MONTH ******

HONG KONG EXPERIENCED A VERY COLD SPELL TOWARDS THE END OF LAST MONTH, WITH FROST COVERING PARTS OF THE NEW TERRITORIES AND RIME ON TOP OF TAI MO SHAN.

WEATHER CONDITIONS DURING THE FIRST THREE WEEKS OF THE MONTH WERE GENERALLY MILD, WITH ABOVE-NORMAL TEMPERATURES RECORDED ALMOST EVERYDAY.

ON THE AFTERNOON OF DECEMBER 23, THE TEMPERATURE ROSE TO A MAXIMUM OF 26.2 DEGREES CELSIUS THE HIGHEST RECORDED IN THE MONTH.

HOWEVER, AN INTENSE SURGE OF LATE ON DECEMBER 25 BRINGING WITH LASTED UNTIL THE END OF THE MONTH,

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THE WINTER MONSOON ARRIVED IT A VERY COLD SPELL WHICH

AS A RESULT, THE MONTHLY MEAN TEMPERATURE WAS EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE NORMAL FOR THE MONTH. THE TOTAL DURATION OF SUNSHINE WAS ABOUT SIX PER CENT ABOVE NORMAL WHILE RAINFALL WAS ONLY FOUR PER CENT OF THE AVERAGE AMOUNT.

ON THE MORNING OF DECEMBER 28, THE TEMPERATURE DROPPED TO A MINIMUM OF 5.7 DEGREES CELSIUS, THE LOWEST IN THE MONTH, WHILE TAI MO SHAN, REGISTERED A MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF -3 DEGREES CELSIUS.

WARNINGS OF FROST AND ICE WERE ISSUED BY THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY BETWEEN DECEMBER 26 AND 28. DURING THIS PERIOD, RIME WAS OBSERVED NEAR THE TOP OF TAI MO SHAN AND FROST REPORTED ON THE HIGH GROUND AND NORTHERN PARTS OF THE NEW TERRITORIES.

AN OLD MAN WAS REPORTED TO HAVE DIED OF THE COLD.

DAMAGE

TO CROPS WAS SLIGHT BUT MANY YOUNG FISH IN THE FISH PONDS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES WERE KILLED AND THERE WAS ALSO CONSIDERABLE LOSS IN LIVESTOCK.

NO AIRCRAFT WAS DIVERTED FROM HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT DUE TO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS LAST MONTH.

DURING THE MONTH, THE WINTER STRONG MONSOON SIGNAL WAS HOISTED ON THREE OCCASIONS, WHILE LOW TEMPERATURE WARNINGS WERE ISSUED FOUR TIMES, AND THE RED FIRE DANGER WARNINGS TWICE.

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