XN000022-1979-12-13 — Page 9

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1979'

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NOVEMBER IS DRY AND WINDY

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HONG KONG HAD A DRY AND WINDY MONTH LAST MONTH WHEN THE STRONG MONSOON SIGNAL WAS HOISTED ON FIVE OCCASIONS AND LASTED MORE THAN 108 HOURS - BOTH RECORDS ARE THE HIGHEST FOR NOVEMBER SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF THE SIGNAL IN 1950.

THE MEAN RELATIVE HUMIDITY WAS 10 PER CENT BELOW NORMAL AND THE TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTED TO ONLY 11.2 MM AS AGAINST THE NORMAL 39.2 MM, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

HE POINTED OUT THAT MORE THAN 1 600 FIRES OCCURRED DURING THE MONTH, ALTHOUGH FIRE DANGER WARNINGS WERE IN FORCE MOST OF THE TIME. SOME 300 000 TREES AND 1 105 HECTARES OF VEGETATION WERE EITHER DESTROYED OR DAMAGED BY ABOUT 200 HILL FIRES.

IN PARTICULAR, A FIRE WHICH BROKE OUT ON THE MORNING OF NOVEMBER 18 IN THE TAI LAM CHUNG AREA RAGED FOR 30 HOURS AND DESTROYED 265 000 TREES AND 500 HECTARES OF VEGETATION.

THE MONTH BEGAN WITH A FINE AND WARM DAY WHEN A TEMPERATURE OF 28.9 DEGREES CELSIUS THE HIGHEST IN THE MONTH -- WAS

RECORDED IN THE AFTERNOON. CONDITIONS TURNED CLOUDY WITH PERIODS OF RAIN IN THE FOLLOWING THREE DAYS AS AN AREA OF DISTURBED WEATHER MOVED FROM EAST TO WEST ACROSS THE NORTHERN PART OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA.

A COLD FRONT PASSED THROUGH DURING THE NIGHT OF NOVEMBER 4 AND THE DRY NORTHERLY AIRSTREAM BEHIND IT GRADUALLY GAVE RISE TO BRILLIANTLY FINE WEATHER ON NOVEMBER 6. HOWEVER, IT BECAME CLOUDY AGAIN WITH SOME LIGHT RAIN PATCHES THE FOLLOWING DAYS POSSIBLY DUE TO THE REMNANT OF TYPHOON VERA OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND AN ASSOCIATED MOIST EASTERLY AIRSTREAMS OVER SOUTH CHINA.

BEGINNING FROM THE THIRD WEEK, THE WEATHER BECAME COOLER AND STRONG TO GALE FORCE WINDS WERE EXPERIENCED FROM THE EVENING OF NOVEMBER 17 TO THE MORNING OF NOVEMBER 19. THE STRONG WINDS ON THE MORNING OF THE 18TH WERE REPORTED TO HAVE CAUSED 13 ACCIDENTS RESULTING IN 16 INJURIES MAINLY CAUSED BY FALLING SCAFFOLDINGS AND SIGN-BOARDS, AND FLYING DEBRIS. FIVE AIRCRAFT WERE DIVERTED FROM HONG KONG.

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A TEMPERATURE OF 10.5 DEGREES CELSIUS — THE LOWEST IN THE MONTH AND SO FAR THIS WINTER WAS RECORDED ON THE MORNING OF NOVEMBER 19. THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURES AT TAI MO SHAN AND TATE'S CAIRN WERE 1.2 DEGREES AND 3.0 DEGREES RESPECTIVELY. THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY ALSO DROPPED TO 21 PER CENT ON THE PRECEEDING AFTERNOON.

THE WEATHER BECAME CLOUDY IN THE FOLLOWING TWO DAYS AND CONDITIONS WERE MILDER AND MORE HUMID. PATCHES OF LIGHT RAIN AND STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS WERE EXPERIENCED ON NOVEMBER 22 AND 23 FOLLOWING THE ARRIVAL OF A SURGE OF WINTER MONSOON.

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