XN000022-1980-09-07 — Page 2

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1980

AUGUST WAS HOT AND DRY

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AUGUST WAS HOTTER AND DRIER THAN USUAL, ACCORDING TO THE MONTHLY WEATHER SUMMARY ISSUED BY THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY TODAY.

THE MONTH'S MEAN TEMPERATURE OF 28.8 DEGREES CELSIUS WAS

THE FOURTH HIGHEST ON RECORD FOR AUGUST SINCE 1884.

ITS MEAN MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 31.7 DEGREES WAS ALSO THE EIGHTH HIGHEST RECORD FOR AUGUST WHILE THE MEAN MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 26.7 DEGREES WAS THIRD.

THE TOTAL RAINFALL OF THE MONTH CAME TO 250 MM WHICH WAS 170.2 MM BELOW AVERAGE.

THE ACCUMULATED RAINFALL FOR THE FIRST EIGHT MONTHS OF THIS YEAR STOOD AT 1 389.3 MM, 20 PER CENT BELOW NORMAL.

HOWEVER, THE MONTH RECORDED A TOTAL OF 229.1 HOURS OF SUNSHINE WHICH IS 23 HOURS ABOVE NORMAL.

THE FIRST FOUR DAYS OF THE MONTH WERE SUNNY AND HOT EXCEPT FOR SOME MORNING SHOWERS ON AUGUST 2 AND 3.

A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE OVER SOUTH CHINA BROUGHT UNSETTLED WEATHER ON THE FOLLOWING FIVE DAYS. THUNDERSTORMS WERE REPORTED ON AUGUST 5, 7 AND 9.

A TOTAL OF 199.5 MM OF RAIN WAS RECORDED AT JUBILEE RESERVOIR IN THE 24 HOURS ENDED AT 9 AM ON AUGUST 7. SERIOUS FLOODINGS IN THE TSUEN WAN AND KWAI CHUNG AREAS WERE REPORTED THAT DAY AND FLOODING WAS AGAIN REPORTED ON CASTLE PEAK ROAD IN TSUEN WAN ON AUGUST 9.

THE MONTH'S MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 25 DEGREES WAS RECORDED DURING A THUNDERSTORM ON AUGUST 7.

THE FOLLOWING WEEK WAS FINE AND HOT, WITH A FEW ISOLATED MORNING SHOWERS ON AUGUST 10, 12 AND 13. THE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF THE MONTH, 32.9 DEGREES, WAS RECORDED ON AUGUST 17.

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRED DURING THE EVENING OF AUGUST 17 WHEN A TROPICAL DEPRESSION WAS CENTRED OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA.

STRONG EASTERLY WINDS WERE EXPERIENCED IN MANY LOCATIONS ON AUGUST 18 WHILE SHOWERS BECAME MORE FREQUENT.

INDS AEATED EARLY ON AUGUST 19. THE WEATHER ALSO IMPROVED DURING THE DAY BUT SOME THUNDERSTORMS WERE EXPERIENCED THAT EVENING AND THE FOLLOWING MORNING.

THERE WERE OCCASIONAL SHOWERS ON AUGUST 20 AND IN THE EARLY MORNING THE NEXT DAY, WHILE THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRED ON THE NIGHT OF ALGUST 22. HOWEVER, THE WEATHER BECAME SUNNY AND HOT AGAIN FROM ALGUST 23 TO 26.

/THUNDERSTORMS RECURRED