XN000022-1980-01-12 — Page 3

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 12, 1980

THE WET SPELL CONTINUED INTO APRIL WHICH HAD A TOTAL RAINFALL OF 234.5 MM OR 73 PER CENT ABOVE AVERAGE. THOUGH THE WEATHER WAS SLIGHTLY COOLER THAN NORMAL, A MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 32.4 DEGREES WAS RECORDED ON APRIL 26 - THE HIGHEST APRIL TEMPERATURE SINCE 1956.

AN INTENSE COLD FRONT ARRIVING ON APRIL 2 BROUGHT HEAVY SQUALLY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS, AND ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS HAIL LASTING FOR A FEW MINUTES OCCURRED AT SHA TAU KOK AND PING CHAU. AN OIL BARGE SANK, A SAILING DINGHY CAPSIZED AND FIVE VESSELS BROKE THEIR ANCHOR CHAINS AND WENT ADRIFT. A MINOR LANDSLIP OCCURRED IN AU TAU AND FLOODING WAS REPORTED IN VARIOUS PARTS OF HONG KONG. THE FOGGY WEATHER ON APRIL 7 AND 8 AFFECTED FERRY SERVICES BETWEEN HONG KONG, MACAO AND GUANGZHOU AND A FISHING BOAT SANK AFTER COLLIDING IN THICK FOG WITH AN UNKNOWN VESSEL 80 NAUTICAL MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF HONG KONG.

MAY WAS CLOUDIER AND LESS SUNNY THAN USUAL. THE MONTH'S RAINFALL AMOUNTED TO 311.6 MM WHICH WAS EIGHT PER CENT ABOVE NORMAL. MORE THAN HALF OF THE MONTH'S RAIN FELL BETWEEN MAY 13 AND 15 WHEN A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WAS NEAR HONG KONG.

THERE WAS LESS RAIN IN JUNE AND MOST OF IT (113.6 MM) FELL ON JUNE 11. THE HEAVY RAIN CAUSED THREE LANDSLIPS AND THE EVACUATION OF 200 PEOPLE.

THE YEAR'S HIGHEST TEMPERATURE OF 33.8 DEGREES WAS RECORDED ON JULY 5 AND THE MONTH WAS SUNNIER AND HOTTER THAN USUAL. RAINFALL WAS SLIGHTLY ABOVE AVERAGE AND MOST OF THE RAIN FELL ON THE LAST THREE DAYS OF THE MONTH.

DURING THE MONTH FOUR TROPICAL CYCLONES DEVELOPED OVER THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC AND THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING SIGNALS FOR TWO OF THEM WERE HOISTED IN HONG KONG. TYPHOON ELLIS PASSED BY HONG KONG AROUND MIDNIGHT ON JULY 5 RESULTING IN A SHORT PERIOD OF STRONG EASTERLY WINDS AND SOME SHOWERS. SEVERE TROPICAL STORM GORDON GOT CLOSE TO HONG KONG IN THE EARLY MORNING OF JULY 29, BRINGING VERY HEAVY RAIN AND CAUSING WIDESPREAD FLOODINGS AND SOME MINOR LANDSLIPS,

ON AUGUST 2 HURRICANE FORCE WINDS AND TORRENTIAL RAIN WERE EXPERIENCED DURING THE PASSAGE OF TYPHOON HOPE WHICH CAUSED 12 DEATHS, INJURED 260 PEOPLE AND MADE 800 PEOPLE HOMELESS. WIDESPREAD FLOODING OCCURRED ALL OVER THE NEW TERRITORIES AND ABOUT 75 PER CENT OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS AND FRUIT TREES WERE SEVERELY DAMAGED.

TYPHOON HOPE SET TWO NEW RECORDS - AN HOURLY RAINFALL OF 82.1 MM AND THE LOWEST INSTANTANEOUS MEAN SEA-LEVEL PRESSURE OF 961.6 MILLIBARS FOR AUGUST. THE TYPHOON TOGETHER WITH A TROPICAL CYCLONE BROUGHT THE MONTH'S RAINFALL TO 706.9 MM WHICH WAS 286.7 MM ABOVE AVERAGE FOR THE MONTH. THERE WERE ONLY 138.2 HOURS OF BRIGHT SUNSHINE, THE FOURTH LOWEST ON RECORD FOR AUGUST.

IN SEPTEMBER THERE WAS THE RARE OCCASION OF HAVING TWO TROPICAL CYCLONES CENTRED WITHIN 400 NAUTICAL MILES OF HONG KONG AT THE SAME TIME. ON SEPTEMBER 19 STANDBY SIGNAL NO. 1 WAS HOISTED FOR TROPICAL STORM NANCY AND THE SIGNAL REMAINED HOISTED FOR SEVERE TROPICAL STORM MAC APPROACHING FROM THE SOUTHEAST. MAC LEFT ONE PERSON DEAD AND 67 PEOPLE INJURED WHEN HE PASSED OVER WESTERN LANTAU DURING THE NIGHT OF SEPTEMBER 23. MAC ALSO BROUGHT THE RAINFALL OF THE MONTH TO 506.3 MM WHICH WAS 53 PER CENT ABOVE AVERAGE.

THE WEATHER