XN000022-1978-02-14 — Page 7

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1978

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WEATHER FOR LAST MONTH

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THE WEATHER FOR LAST MONTH AS A WHOLE WAS QUITE SEASONABLE WITH RAINFALL, MEAN TEMPERATURE, CLOUD AMOUNT AND SUNSHINE ALL VERY CLOSE TO NORMAL.

ACCORDING TO THE WEATHER ROUND-UP FOR JANUARY RELEASED BY ROYAL OBSERVATORY TODAY THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE OF THE MONTH WAS 24.4 DEGREES CELSIUS RECORDED ON JANUARY 13, WHILE THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE OF 6.9 DEGREES C. WAS RECORDED ON JANUARY 18.

THE AMOUNT OF RAINFALL FOR THE MONTH WAS 22.9 MM, WHICH IS 5.6 MM BELOW NORMAL.

DURING THE MONTH THERE WERE TWO COLD SPELLS AND THE STRONG MONSOON SIGNAL WAS HOISTED ON FIVE OCCASIONS TO WARN STRONG WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH OUTBREAKS OF THE WINTER MONSOON. LOW TEMPERATURE WARNINGS WERE ISSUED FROM JANUARY 16 TO 18 TO WARN FROST ON HIGH GROUND AND IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE NEW TERRITORIES.

TWO TROPICAL CYCLONES

TYPHOON MARY AND TROPICAL STORM

NAD I NE WERE REPORTED OVER WESTERN PART OF NORTH PACIFIC DURING THE MONTH. BOTH OF THEM DID NOT AFFECT HONG KONG.

AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE MONTH, A COLD FRONT PASSED THROUGH HONG KONG AND PUT AN END TO THE WARM AND HUMID WEATHER WHICH HAD PREVAILED AT THE END OF DECEMBER 1977.

IT WAS RATHER COLD AND DRY DURING THE FIRST SIX DAYS OF THE MONTH BUT BECAME PROGRESSIVELY MILDER.

ON JANUARY 12, AN EASTERLY AIRSTREAM FROM THE PACIFIC BEGAN TO INFLUENCE SOUTH CHINA AND THE WEATHER IN HONG KONG BECAME MUCH WARMER AND MORE HUMID. VISIBILITY WAS REDUCED TO A MINIMUM OF 200 METRES ON WAGLAN ISLAND ON THE MORNING OF JANUARY 14.

DURING THE MORNING OF JANUARY 16, AN INTENSE COLD FRONT ACCOMPANIED BY PERIODS OF RAIN AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS PASSED THROUGH HONG KONG. WINDS FRESHENED RAPIDLY FROM THE NORTH AND TEMPERATURES DROPPED MORE THAN 10 DEGREES CELSIUS IN 24 HOURS AFTER THE PASSAGE OF THE COLD FRONT.

WEATHER WAS VERY COLD DURING THE NEXT SIX DAYS AND FROST WAS REPORTED IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE NEW TERRITORIES. IT WAS THE COLDEST ON THE MORNING OF JANUARY 18 WHEN MINIMUM TEMPERATURES OF MINUS ONE AND ZERO DEGREE WERE REPORTED AT TAI MO SHAN AND TATE'S CAIRN RESPECTIVELY. THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY WAS 6.9 DEGREES CELSIUS WHICH WAS THE LOWEST RECORDED IN THE MONTH.

THE "EATHER