XN000022-1977-11-14 — Page 7

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1977

OCTOBER WAS WETTER THAN NORMAL

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OCTOBER WAS MUCH WETTER THAN NORMAL WITH A TOTAL OF 195.8 MM RAINFALL RECORDED BY THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY NEARLY TWICE THE NORMAL FIGURE OF 99.2 MM.

THIS BRINGS THE TOTAL RAINFALL FOR THE FIRST TEN MONTHS

OF THIS YEAR TO 1666 MM WHICH IS 21 PER CENT BELOW AVERAGE.

THE SUMMER RAINFALL BETWEEN MAY 1 TO OCTOBER 31 WAS 1,592 MM OR 12 PER CENT BELOW AVERAGE AND LIES NEAR THE MIDDLE OF THE RANGE 1,450 - 1,850 MM WHICH WAS PREDICTED BY THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY IN FEBRUARY.

NEARLY HALF OF THE MONTH'S TOTAL RAINFALL WAS RECORDED ON OCTOBER 26 WHEN HONG KONG EXPERIENCED VERY HEAVY RAIN. RAIN WAS HEAVIEST BETWEEN 11 A.M. AND NOON THAT DAY WHEN 51.7 MM OF RAINFALL WERE RECORDED AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY.

DURING THE HEAVY RAIN, TEMPERATURES FELL TO A MINIMUM OF 21.6 DEGREES CELSIUS WHICH WAS THE LOWEST RECORDED IN THE MONTH.

BESIDES THE VERY HEAVY RAIN EXPERIENCED ON OCTOBER 26, THE REST OF THE MONTH WAS FINE AND SUNNY,

NO TROPICAL CYCLONES AFFECTED HONG KONG DURING THE MONTH ALTHOUGH FOUR WERE REPORTED OVER THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC.

ON OCTOBER 1 THERE WERE A FEW SHOWERS IN THE MORNING BUT THE AFTERNOON WAS FINE AND TEMPERATURES ROSE TO A MAXIMUM OF 31.2 DEGREES CELSIUS WHICH WAS THE HIGHEST OF THE MONTH.

CONDITIONS BECAME MORE UNSTABLE AND ON THE NEXT DAY THUNDERSTORMS WERE REPORTED IN MANY LOCALITIES, ESPECIALLY NORTHERN PART OF THE NEW TERRITORIES.

HEAVIER SHOWERS AND MORE FREQUENT THUNDERSTORMS WERE EXPERIENCED ON OCTOBER 4 AND 5.

IN THE

ALTHOUGH THERE WERE LONG SUNNY PERIODS ON OCTOBER 6, THE WEATHER BECAME CLOUDY WITH LIGHT RAIN AS AN INTENSE COLD FRONT PASSED EARLY THE NEXT MORNING.

HEAVY SHOWERS WERE REPORTED DURING THE EVENING OF OCTOBER 10 WHEN ANOTHER SURGE OF COOLER AIR ARRIVED THROUGH THE TALAN STRAIT.

WINDS IN HONG KONG FRESHENED FROM THE EAST AND BECAME STRONG

THE IN EXPOSED PLACES AND OFF-SHORE THE FOLLOWING MORNING.

THE STRONG MONSOON SIGNAL WAS HOISTED FOR ABOUT NINE HOURS, FIRST OCCASION SINCE LAST WINTER.

THE WEATHER IMPROVED ON OCTOBER 11 AND REMAINED FINE AND SUNNY UNTIL OCTOBER 25 APART FROM SONE LIGHT RAIN O1. SEVERAL NIGHTS.