XN000022-1977-05-09 — Page 4

MONDAY, MAY 9, 1977

APRIL

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SUNNIER, DRIER AND MUCH WARMER THAN USUAL

玉玉玉玉五堇

THE MONTH OF APRIL WAS SUNNIER, DRIER AND MUCH WARMER THAN USUAL, ACCORDING TO THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY.

THE MEAN TEMPERATURE OF 24.2 DEGREES CELSIUS, THE MEAN MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 27.4 DEGREES AND THE MEAN MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 22.2 DEGREES WERE ALL THE HIGHEST ON RECORD FOR THE MONTH WHILE THE MEAN RELATIVE HUMIDITY OF 80 PER CENT WAS THE FIFTH LOWEST ON RECORD IN ANY APRIL.

THE DRY CONDITIONS WHICH BEGAN IN NOVEMBER LAST YEAR CONTINUED TO PREVAIL LAST MONTH. DURING THESE SIX MONTHS, THE TOTAL RAINFALL RECORDED AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY AMOUNTED TO ONLY 75.9 MM.

THIS REPRESENTED 21 PER CENT OF THE AVERAGE RAINFALL AND RANKED THE SECOND LOWEST FOR THE SAME PERIOD SINCE 1884.

AS A RESULT OF THE DROUGHT, FARMERS, FLOWER GROWERS AND FISH BREEDERS SUFFERED LOSSES. LARGE STRETCHES OF FARM IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, INCLUDING LANTAU ISLAND, WERE ABANDONED DUE TO THE LACK OF IRRIGATION WATER.

IN SPITE OF THE RED FIRE DANGER WARNINGS ISSUED BY THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY DURING THE MONTH, THERE WERE STILL NUMEROUS HILL FIRES, RESULTING IN EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO AREAS OF VEGETATION IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

APART FROM SOME CLOUDY PERIODS, CONDITIONS DURING THE FIRST EIGHT DAYS OF THE MONTH WERE GENERALLY FINE, SUNNY AND MILD. THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 17.6 DEGREES CELSIUS RECORDED ON THE MORNING OF APRIL 1 WAS THE LOWEST OF THE MONTH,

THE WEATHER FROM APRIL 9 TO 21 WAS MAINLY CLOUDY WITH LESS THAN NORMAL SUNSHINE DUE TO THE INFLUENCE OF A HUMID AIRSTREAM FROM THE EAST OF HONG KONG. PATCHES OF FOG WERE REPORTED IN THE HARBOUR APPROACHES ON THE MORNINGS FROM APRIL 13 TO 16 AND THE LOWEST VISIBILITY RECORDED AT WAGLAN ISLAND WAS 200 METRES.

THE MONTH'S MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 31.8 DEGREES CELSIUS, RECORDED IN THE AFTERNOON OF APRIL 25, WAS THE THIRD HIGHEST ON RECORD FOR APRIL.

NEARLY ALL THE MONTH'S RAINFALL FELL ON THE LAST THREE DAYS. ALTHOUGH THE RAIN HAD RELATIVELY LITTLE EFFECT ON THE WATER STORAGE SITUATION, THE FARMERS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES WERE RELIEVED WHEN SPRING FARMING AND TRANSPLANTING OF CROPS BEGAME POSSIBLE.

DURING THE MONTH, THERE WERE NO AIRCRAFT DIVERSIONS FROM KAI TAK AIRPORT DUE TO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITION AND NO STRONG MONSOON WARNINGS WERE ISSUED.

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