XN000022-1979-04-10 — Page 10

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 1979

THE FIRST TWO DAYS OF THE MONTH WERE CLOUDY AND COOL WITH RAIN AT TIMES. THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE OF THE MONTH, 12.6 DEGREES, WAS RECORDED AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY ON THE MORNING OF MARCH 1.

ON THE FOLLOWING MORNING THERE WERE STRONG EASTERLY WINDS OFF SHORE AND THE STRONG MONSOON SIGNAL WAS HOISTED FROM 6.20 A.M. UNTIL 2.50 P.M. THE NEXT THREE DAYS WERE MAINLY FINE APART FROM A FEW PATCHES OF LIGHT RAIN DURING THE EVENING OF MARCH 4.

CLOUDY CONDITIONS RETURNED ON MARCH 6 AND PERIODS OF RAIN WERE EXPERIENCED UNTIL MARCH 8. TEMPERATURES STARTED TO RISE GRADUALLY FROM MARCH 4 ONWARDS AS A SOUTHEASTERLY AIRSTREAM BROUGHT WARM AND MOIST AIR FROM THE PACIFIC.

MIST AND FOG DEVELOPED ON MARCH 7 AND PERSISTED UNTIL THE EVENING OF MARCH 13. DURING THIS PERIOD VISIBILITY WAS AT TIMES REDUCED TO 700 METRES AT WAGLAN ISLAND, 1,000 METRES AT CHEUNG CHAU AND 2,800 METRES AT THE HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT RESPECTIVELY.

AIR TRAFFIC WAS AFFECTED AND 14 AIRCRAFT WERE DIVERTED FROM THE AIRPORT ON MARCH 13.

A COLD FRONT SLOWLY APPROACHED HONG KONG FROM THE NORTH ON MARCH 12 AND THE WEATHER BECAME UNSETTLED WITH MORE RAIN. THERE WERE STRONG EASTERLY WINDS EARLY NEXT MORNING AND THE STRONG MONSOON SIGNAL WAS HOISTED FROM 8.30 A.M. TO 3.40 P.M.

NORTHERLY WINDS BEHIND THE COLD FRONT REACHED HONG KONG ON MARCH 14 AND CONDITIONS BECAME SLIGHTLY COOLER DURING THE FOLLOWING 14 DAYS. THE WEATHER DID NOT IMPROVE AFTER THE FRONTAL PASSAGE.

RAIN PERSISTED UNTIL MARCH 28 WITH SOME THUNDERSTORMS ON MARCH 22 AND 26. VISIBILITY WAS POOR MOST OF THE TIME.

WIDESPREAD FOG OCCURRED EARLY ON THE MORNING OF MARCH 29 WHEN VISIBILITY WAS REDUCED TO 100 METRES AT WAGLAN ISLAND, 200 METRES AT CHEUNG CHAU, 300 METRES AT THE HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND 800 METRES AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY RESPECTIVELY.

ANOTHER SHORT PERIOD OF STRONG EASTERLY WINDS WAS EXPERIENCED OVERNIGHT ON MARCH 21 AND THE STRONG MONSOON SIGNAL WAS HOISTED FROM 3 A.M. TO 9.45 A.M. ON MARCH 22.

THE WEATHER IMPROVED ON MARCH 29 AND THE LAST THREE DAYS OF THE MONTH WERE VERY WARM. ON THE AFTERNOON OF MARCH 31 TEMPERATURES ROSE TO A MAXIMUM OF 27.8 DEGREES WHICH WAS THE HIGHEST RECORDED IN THE MONTH.

DURING THE MONTH 16 AIRCRAFT WERE DIVERTED FROM HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT DUE TO ADVERSE WEATHER.

TYPHOON BESS DEVELOPED OVER THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC ON MARCH 19 AND DISSIPATED ON MARCH 25. THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS WERE

ISSUED ON MARCH 20, 22, 23, 24 AND 26.

THE YELLOW FIRE DANGER WARNING WAS ISSUED ON MARCH 4 AND 11.

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