XN000022-1977-05-28 — Page 2

SATURDAY, MAY 28, 1977

HONG KONG'S MAY RA INFALL

NO CAUSE FOR SONG AND DANCE

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WHEN THOSE VIOLENT THUNDERSTORMS HIT YOUR DISTRICT AND YOU CAN'T SEE A FOOT BEYOND YOUR WINDOW FOR THE TORRENTIAL RAIN AND THE SHEET LIGHTNING IS CRACKLING LIKE TIN FOIL, DON'T GO DANCING IN THE STREETS AND ASSUMING HONG KONG'S WATER SHORTAGE IS OVER.

CHANCES ARE THAT THE STREETS ARE BONE DRY A COUPLE OF MILES AWAY AND THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT'S WATER ENGINEERS ARE PRAYING FOR RAIN AT THE TERRITORY'S MAIN RESERVOIRS,

THAT'S BEEN THE RATHER CRUEL IRONY OF HONG KONG'S RAIN PATTERN OVER THE PAST FOUR OR FIVE WEEKS.

THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DUMPED UP TO 70 MM (2-3/4 INCHES) OF RAIN IN ONE HIT - STRIKING HONG KONG ISLAND AND URBAN KOWLOON YET COMPLETELY MISSING THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT'S VITAL TARGET, THE PLOVER COVE RESERVOIR. AND EVEN ON THE ISLAND ITSELF, RAINSTORMS HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO CONTRARILY SOAK ABERDEEN AND WONG NEI CHONG AND ONLY SPATTER POK FU LAM.

BEHIND ALL THE THUNDER AND LIGHTNING THE FACT REMAINS THAT HONG KONG RECEIVED ONLY 211.9 MM (8 INCHES) OF RAIN UP TO MAY 24, COMPARED WITH A MONTHLY AVERAGE OF 279 MM (11 INCHES).

THIS TENDS TO BEAR OUT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY'S PREDICTION THAT HONG KONG'S RAINFALL THIS YEAR COULD BE AS MUCH AS 10 PER CENT BELOW AVERAGE. AND THAT'S WHY, IN THE MIDST OF APPARENT STORM RELIEF, WATER RESTRICTIONS HAVE HAD TO BE IMPOSED. MOST OF THE RAIN WE'VE HAD SO FAR HAS SIMPLY NOT BEEN FALLING IN THE RIGHT PLACE.

A GOOD CASE IN POINT IS THE HEAVY STORM THAT STRUCK HONG KONG ISLAND ON THE MORNING OF MAY 24. THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY'S RAIN GAUGES RECORDED A HEALTHY 72.6 MM (2.8 INCHES), BUT IN THE CATCHMENT OF HONG KONG'S BIGGEST OPERATIONAL RESERVOIR, PLOVER COVE, THE YIELD WAS ABOUT AS EFFECTIVE AS A DROP IN A BUCKET.

AS THE P.W.D.'S PRINCIPAL GOVERNMENT WATER ENGINEER, MR. TOM TOMLINSON, BLUNTLY PUT IT: +IN TERMS OF BENEFIT TO THE CATCHMENT THE YIELD WAS EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTING. THE RAIN GAUGE AT PLOVER COVE RECORDED ONLY 4 MM, WHILE IT WAS RAINING CATS AND DOGS IN THE URBAN AREAS.

+THE TOTAL CONTRIBUTION ON MAY 24 TO THE DEPLETED RESERVES IN ALL CATCHMENT AREAS WAS ONLY 278 MILLION GALLONS NOT MUCH MORE THAN AN AVERAGE DAY'S CONSUMPTION.+

THE FOLLOWING RAINS DID NO BETTER, ON MAY 26, THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY RECORDED A MINISCULE 0.5 MM, WHILE 60 MM (2.3 INCHES) WAS RECORDED AT TAI TAM, AND EVEN THEN THE SAME FICKLE DISTRIBUTION WAS APPARENT - ONLY 23 MM (0.9 INCH) IN THE POK FU LAM AREA AND 12 MM (0.4 INCH) AT ABERDEEN, AND AGAIN, THE CRITICAL PLOVER COVER AREA RECEIVED VIRTUALLY NOTHING AT ALL.

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