XN000022-1980-10-11 — Page 2

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1980

DRIER AND CLOUDIER SEPTEMBER

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SEPTEMBER WAS DRIER AND CLOUDIER THAN USUAL, WITH RAINFALL TOTALLING 211.6 MM WHICH WAS 119.2 MM BELOW AVERAGE THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY SAID IN ITS MONTHLY WEATHER REPORT TODAY (SATURDAY).

THIS BROUGHT THE ACCUMULATED RAINFALL IN THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF THE YEAR TO 1 600.9 MM -- SOME 23 PER CENT BELOW NORMAL. HOWEVER, HONG KONG'S RESERVOIRS WERE 66 PER CENT FULL.

TOTAL SUNSHINE AMOUNTED TO 177.9 HOURS WHICH WAS 13.3 HOURS BELOW NORMAL. IN ADDITION, THE MEAN ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE OF 1 010.2 MILLIBARS AT SEA LEVEL WAS THE SIXTH HIGHEST ON RECORD FOR SEPTEMBER.

SEVEN TROPICAL CYCLONES DEVELOPED OVER THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC AND THE SOUTH CHINA SEA BUT NONE CAME VERY CLOSE TO HONG KONG.

TYPHOON ORCHID, ORIGINATING ABOUT 280 NAUTICAL MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF GUAM ON SEPTEMBER 4, PASSED OVER KYUSHU ON SEPTEMBER 11, LEAVING AT LEAST SIX PEOPLE DEAD AND CAUSING DAMAGE IN 23 OF THE 47 JAPANESE PROVINCES. IN SOUTH KOREA, SIX PEOPLE DIED, MOSTLY IN LANDSLIPS, AND MORE THAN 100 FISHERMEN WERE MISSING.

TYPHOON RUTH STRUCK HAINAN DAO (HAINAN ISLAND) ON SEPTEMBER 15 AND REACHED THE COAST OF VIETNAM NEAR HANOI ON SEPTEMBER 16.

RUTH WAS THE WORST TYPHOON TO HIT THANH HOA PROVINCE IN 30 YEARS. AT LEAST 106 PEOPLE WERE KILLED OR MISSING AND ABOUT 500 000 PEOPLE WERE MADE HOME LESS. THE TYPHOON DISSIPATED OVER LAOS ON SEPTEMBER 16 EVENING,

TYPHOON PERCY CROSSED THE SOUTHERN TIP OF TAIWAN CLOSE TO HENGCHUN ON SEPTEMBER 18 AND CAUSED SERIOUS DAMAGE IN SOUTHERN TAIWAN AND LAN YU WHERE NINE PEOPLE DIED.

THREE OTHER TROPICAL CYCLONES TYPHOON SPERRY, SEVERE TROPICAL STORM THELMA AND TYPHOON VERNON MOVED AWAY INTO THE PACIFIC.

THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRED ON THREE DAYS FROM SEPTEMBER 1 AS AN ACTIVE TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE LINGERED OVER THE SOUTH CHINA COAST.

NEARLY HALF OF THE MONTH'S TOTAL RAINFALL FELL ON THE FIRST TWO DAYS. THE HEAVIEST DOWNPOUR OCCURRED FROM 5 TO 6 AM ON SEPTEMBER 1 WHEN 40.2 MM OF RAIN WERE RECORDED AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY.

LANDSLIPS WERE REPORTED AT FINDLAY ROAD ON THE PEAK, WONG TAI SIN AND KWUN TONG. TRAFFIC WAS DISRUPTED BY FLOODING IN PARTS OF EASTERN KOWLOON. SERIOUS DAMAGE WAS CAUSED TO VEGETABLE CROPS

IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

/IT BECAME