XN000022-1977-02-03 — Page 5

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1977

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SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER WERE ABNORMALLY CLOUDY BUT WITH BELOW AVERAGE RAINFALL. DURING THE SECOND HALF OF SEPTEMBER STRONG MONSOON SIGNAL WAS HOISTED ON THREE OCCASIONS FOR A TOTAL DURATION OF 148 HOURS AND 15 MINUTES, WHICH IS THE HIGHEST MONTHLY FIGURE SINCE 1956 WHEN THIS SIGNAL WAS FIRST INTRODUCED.

NOVEMBER WAS EXCEPTIONALLY COLD AND DRY AND ITS MEAN TEMPERATURE OF 19.1 DEGREES CELSIUS WAS THE LOWEST MEAN TEMPERATURE ON RECORD. THE TOTAL RAINFALL IN THE MONTH WAS ONLY TWO PER CENT OF THE AVERAGE AND FIRE DANGER WARNINGS WERE IN FORCE ALMOST EVERY DAY.

IN DECEMBER, HONG KONG EXPERIENCED A LONG SPELL OF MILD AND SUNNY WEATHER AND DAILY MEAN TEMPERATURES REMAINED WELL ABOVE NORMAL ON ALMOST EVERY DAY UNTIL THE ARRIVAL OF AN INTENSE COLD SURGE LATE ON CHRISTMAS DAY. THE TEMPERATURE THEN FELL STEADILY AND ON THE MORNING OF DECEMBER 28, A MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 5.7 DEGREES CELSIUS WAS RECORDED WHICH WAS THE LOWEST OF THE YEAR.

DURING THE PERIOD DECEMBER 27-29, RIME WAS OBSERVED NEAR THE TOP OF TAI MO SHAN WHERE A MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF -3 DEGREES CELSIUS WAS RECORDED ON DECEMBER 28. FROST WAS ALSO REPORTED ON HIGH GROUND AND IN THE 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 CONSIDERABLE LOSS IN LIVESTOCK.

NO RESERVATIONS FOR TRAIN TICKETS DURING LUNAR NEW YEAR ******

SEAT RESERVATIONS FOR A NUMBER OF TRAINS TRAVELLING FROM KOWLOON TERMINAL TO LO WU ON FOUR DAYS BEFORE THE CHINESE NEW YEAR WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED BY THE KOWLOON CANTON RAILWAY.

ANNOUNCING THIS TODAY, THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE KCR, MR. REGINALD GREGORY, SAID THIS WAS TO +OBVIATE THE POSSIBILITY OF IMPROPER PURCHASE OF TICKETS+.

BOOKINGS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED FOR EIGHT TRAINS TRAVELLING TO LO WU FROM KOWLOON BETWEEN 5.20 A.M. AND 11.10 A.M. ON THE FOUR DAYS BEGINNING ON FEBRUARY 14 (MONDAY).

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