XN000022-1981-10-12 — Page 7

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1981

SEPTEMBER WETTER THAN USUAL

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SEPTEMBER WITH ITS TOTAL RAINFALL OF 381.9 MM, WAS WETTER THAN USUAL, ACCORDING TO THE MONTHLY WEATHER SUMMARY RELEASED BY THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY TODAY.

HOWEVER THE TOTAL RAINFALL FROM JUNE TO SEPTEMBER AMOUNTED TO ONLY 906.7 MM, THE SEVENTH LOWEST FIGURE ON RECORD FOR THE CORRESPONDING FOUR-MONTH PERIOD,

ACCUMULATED RAINFALL FROM JANUARY 1 UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30 CAME TO 1 472.7 MM, WHICH IS 28 PER CENT BELOW THE AVERAGE FIGURE OF 2 043.5 MM.

LAST MONTH WAS ALSO CLOUDIER AND SLIGHTLY COOLER THAN USUAL. THE TOTAL DURATION OF SUNSHINE DURING THE MONTH WAS 132.3 HOURS, THE THIRD LOWEST FIGURE ON RECORD FOR SEPTEMBER,

DURING THE MONTH, FOUR TROPICAL CYCLONES DEVELOPED OVER THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC AND THE SOUTH CHINA SEA, NAMELY TYPHOONS AGNES, BILL, CLARA AND ELSIE.

IN HONG KONG, A NUMBER ONE SIGNAL WAS HOISTED FOR TYPHOON CLARA AT 9 PM ON SEPTEMBER 20, AND WAS UPGRADED TO NUMBER THREE SIGNAL THE FOLLOWING DAY. ALL SIGNALS WERE LOWERED AT 11.30 AM ON SEPTEMBER 22.

A STRONG MONSOON SIGNAL WAS ALSO HOISTED ON SEPTEMBER 30. THERE WERE THUNDERSTORMS EARLY ON SEPTEMBER 1 DUE TO A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE ASSOCIATED WITH TYPHOON AGNES OVER THE EAST CHINA SEA, BUT THE WEATHER BECAME FINE THE FOLLOWING DAY.

THE TROUGH REMAINED ACTIVE UNTIL SEPTEMBER 6 AND THERE WERE MORE THUNDERSTORMS AND FREQUENT SHOWERS. A TOTAL OF 126.1 MM OF RAINFALL WAS RECORDED ON SEPTEMBER 4 AND MINOR LANDSLIPS OCCURRED ON THAT DAY AND SEPTEMBER 6.

THE WEATHER REMAINED CLOUDY WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS ON THE FOLLOWING TWO DAYS. UNTIL SEPTEMBER 13, THE WEATHER WAS FINE AND SUNNY APART FROM SOME SLIGHT SHOWERS LATE ON THE LAST DAY.

WINDS FRESHENED FROM THE EAST ON SEPTEMBER 14 AND SOME THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRED IN THE EVENING. EARLY THE FOLLOWING DAY WINDS TURNED NORTHERLY BRINGING SLIGHTLY COOLER WEATHER AND SOME LIGHT RAIN.

THE MONTH'S LOWEST TEMPERATURE OF 23.8 DEGREES CELSIUS WAS RECORDED EARLY ON SEPTEMBER 16. WINDS REVERTED TO EASTERLY DURING THE DAY AND IT REMAINED CLOUDY UNTIL SEPTEMBER 18.

THE WEATHER BECAME SUNNY AND HOT FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS AND THE TEMPERATURE ROSE TO A MAXIMUM OF 32.1 DEGREES CELSIUS ON SEPTEMBER 20, THE HIGHEST OF THE MONTH, AS TYPHOON CLARA APPROACHED FROM THE EAST-SOUTHEAST. IT TURNED CLOUDY THE FOLLOWING DAY WITH FRESHENING NORTHERLY WINDS.

/IHERE YERE