XN000022-1978-04-10 — Page 5

MONDAY, APRIL 10, 1978

WEATHER SUMMARY FOR MARCH

******

LAST MONTH (MARCH) WAS DAMP AND GLOOMY WITH ONLY 21.7 HOURS OF SUNSHINE - THE LOWEST FIGURE EVER REGISTERED FOR MARCH SINCE RECORDS BEGAN 94 YEARS AGO.

ACCORDING TO THE MONTHLY WEATHER SUMMARY PUBLISHED BY THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY TODAY, IT WAS ALSO THE FOGGIEST MARCH SINCE 1958.

WAGLAN ISLAND REPORTED FOGGY CONDITIONS ON 14 DAYS AND THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY SIX, WHILE THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF DAYS WITH FOG IN MARCH OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS HAS BEEN 5.9 AND 1.7 RESPECTIVELY.

THE MONTH WAS ALSO MUCH WETTER AND CLOUDIER THAN USUAL.

DURING MARCH THERE WERE 20 DAYS WITH MEASURABLE RAIN AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY AND THE TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTED TO 143.8 MM, NEARLY THREE TIMES THE NORMAL AMOUNT.

THE ACCUMULATED RAINFALL SINCE JANUARY 1 THIS YEAR IS 182.9 MM OR 60.2 MM ABOVE AVERAGE.

THE MEAN CLOUDINESS OF 95 PER CENT IS THE FOURTH HIGHEST AND THE MEAN RELATIVE HUMIDITY OF 90 PER CENT THE SECOND HIGHEST ON RECORD FOR MARCH.

BECAUSE OF THE WET AND HUMID CONDITIONS ONLY ONE FIRE DANGER WARNING WAS ISSUED.

DURING THE MONTH 46 AIRCRAFT WERE DIVERTED FROM HONG KONG DUE TO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

THE BEGINNING OF MARCH WAS MILD AND CLOUDY WITH FOG EXPERIENCED AT SEA ON MARCH 4 BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF A COLD FRONT LATER IN THAT AFTERNOON.

THE PASSAGE OF THE COLD FRONT WAS ACCOMPANIED BY THUNDERSTORMS AND CONDITIONS BECAME RAINY AND SLIGHTLY COOLER.

HOWEVER, AS THE ANTICYCLONE OVER CHINA MOVED EASTWARD, A WARM AND HUMID AIRSTREAM BEGAN TO AFFECT HONG KONG AND CAUSED WIDESPREAD FOG FROM MARCH 7 UNTIL THE PASSAGE OF ANOTHER COLD FRONT TWO DAYS LATER.

THUNDERSTORMS WERE AGAIN REPORTED ON THE MORNINGS OF MARCH 9 AND 10 WITH WINDS FRESHENED RAPIDLY FROM THE EAST ON THE AFTERNOON OF MARCH 12.

CONDITIONS WERE COOL BUT LESS HUMID FROM MARCH 10 TO 19 BUT REMAINED CLOUDY WITH RAIN AT TIMES.

MIST, WITH FOG AT SEA, WAS AGAIN EXPERIENCED ON MARCH 20 AND 21. HOWEVER, THIS CLEARED WITH THE ARRIVAL OF AN INTENSE COLD FRONT ON THE EVENING OF MARCH 21.

/TEMPERATURE