XN000022-1979-01-15 — Page 5

MONDAY, JANUARY 15, 1979

THE WEATHER IN 1978

******

SUBSTANTIAL RAIN IN MARCH AND APRIL GREATLY EASED THE WATER SITUATION AND A 24-HOUR SUPPLY WAS RESUMED ON APRIL 18, ENDING THE RESTRICTION IMPOSED ON JUNE 1, 1977, A REVIEW OF THE 1978 WEATHER ISSUED BY THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

BY THE END OF APRIL, THE REVIEW SAID, RAINFALL WAS 63 PER CENT ABOVE NORMAL.

TOTAL RAINFALL OF THE YEAR, AMOUNTING TO 2,593 MILLIMETRES. WAS 15 PER CENT ABOVE AVERAGE AND THE 2,102 MM RAINFALL RECORDED FROM MAY TO OCTOBER FELL IN THE RANGE PREDICTED BY THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY.

THE

LAST YEAR ALSO SAW THREE NEW RECORDS ESTABLISHED SHORTEST HOURS OF SUNSHINE IN ANY MARCH (21.7 HOURS), THE HEATWAVE WITH TEMPERATURES EXCEEDING 33 DEGREES CELSIUS ON 19 CONSECUTIVE DAYS IN JULY, AND A MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 13.5 DEGREES CELSIUS IN ANY OCTOBER.

-

EIGHT TROPICAL CYCLONES AFFECTED HONG KONG DURING THE YEAR. EXCEPT TWO-- AGNES AND ELAINE WHICH CLAIMED A TOTAL OF FOUR DEATHS AND 188 CASUALTIES, ALL TROPICAL STORMS CAUSED LITTLE DAMAGE TO THE CITY.

AGNES, WHICH HIT TWICE IN LATE JULY AND DUMPED MORE THAN 500 MM OF ŔAIN, WAS THE FOURTH WETTEST TROPICAL CYCLONE SINCE 1884. ALTHOUGH NO HEAVY DAMAGE TO PROPERTY RESULTED, THE GALE FORCE WINDS DESTROYED OVER 1,000 HECTARES OF AGRICULTURAL LAND, OVERFLOWED MANY FISH PONDS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, AND CAUSED NUMEROUS LANDSLIPS.

TEMPERATURES FELL TO A MINIMUM OF 6.9 DEGREES CELSIUS ON JANUARY 18, THE LOWEST RECORDED IN THE YEAR BY THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY - BUT EVEN COLDER TEMPERATURES OF -1 DEGREE AND O DEGREE WERE REPORTED AT TAI MO SHAN AND TATE'S CAIRN RESPECTIVELY. THE YEAR'S MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 34.2 DEGREES CELSIUS WAS RECORDED ON JULY 22.

THE YEAR 1978 BEGAN WITH DRY AND COOL WEATHER WHICH LASTED TWO MONTHS AND RESULTED IN THE ISSUE OF SEVERAL FIRE DANGER WARNINGS. CONDITIONS WERE VERY COLD ON JANUARY 16 TO 21 WITH FROST REPORTED IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE NEW TERRITORIES.

THE UNUSUAL 21.7 HOURS OF SUNSHINE IN MARCH MADE IT THE SHORTEST FOR ANY MARCH SINCE 1884. IT WAS ALSO THE FOGGEST MARCH SINCE 1958. WIDESPREAD FOG DURING THE LAST FEW DAYS OF THE MONTH SERIOUSLY DISRUPTED SEA AND AIR TRAFFIC, CAUSING MANY FLIGHT DIVERSIONS AND TWO SHIP COLLISIONS.

/LAST.....