XN000022-1982-04-19 — Page 11

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 1982

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WEATHER IN MARCH

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THE WEATHER IN HONG KONG LAST MONTH WAS ON THE WHOLE WARMER. CLOUDIER AND MORE HUMID THAN USUAL WITH A TOTAL OF 30.6 MM OF RAINFALL RECORDED 24.2 MM BELOW NORMAL.

THIS BROUGHT THE ACCUMULATED RAINFALL SINCE JANUARY 1 TO 69.7 MM, WHICH IS 53.9 MM BELOW AVERAGE.

DURING THE MONTH THERE WERE THREE TROPICAL CYCLONES OVER THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC AND SOUTH CHINA SEA.

THE CYCLONES

TROPICAL STORM MAMIE AND TYPHOONS NELSON AND ODESSA ALL DEVELOPED NEAR THE CAROLINE ISLANDS.

MAMIE FORMED ON MARCH 15 AND CROSSED MINDANAO ON MARCH 19 AND 20.

FIFTY-FOUR PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND 36 000 MADE HOMELESS IN THE PHILIPPINES. THE STORM LATER DISSIPATED NEAR HO CHI MINH CITY ON MARCH 25.

TYPHOON NELSON DEVELOPED ON MARCH 19 AND STRUCK THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES ON MARCH 26 KILLING 56 PEOPLE WHILE 165 000 WERE EVACUATED FROM DANGER AREAS.

NELSON WAS DISSIPATING NEAR NANSHA DAO AT THE END OF THE MONTH WHILE ODESSA FORMED ON MARCH 29 AND WAS CENTRED NEAR THE MARSHALL ISLANDS ON MARCH 31,

IN HONG KONG THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRED EARLY ON MARCH 1 AND THE WEATHER BECAME COOLER WITH PATCHES OF RAIN ON MARCH 2.

THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 12.9 DEGREES AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY WAS THE LOWEST OF THE MONTH.

COASTAL FOG DEVELOPED ON MARCH 3 AND PERSISTED UNTIL MARCH 7. DURING THIS PERIOD CONDITIONS INSIDE VICTORIA HARBOUR WERE MISTY WITH SOME DRIZZLE.

WINDS WERE SOUTHEASTERLY ON MARCH 5 AND 6 AND FOG WAS REPORTED AT THE AIRPORT EVERY MORNING BETWEEN MARCH 5 AND 7. VISIBILITY AT THE AIRPORT WAS REDUCED TO 400 METRES EARLY ON MARCH 5 AND BOTH AIR TRAFFIC AND FERRY SERVICES WERE AFFECTED.

EASTERLY WINDS FRESHENED ON MARCH 7 AND CHANGED TO NORTHERLY AFTER THE PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT ON MARCH 8. THE WEATHER BECAME COOLER AND CLOUDY WITH RAIN UNTIL MARCH 11.

COASTAL FOG WAS AGAIN REPORTED EVERY DAY FROM MARCH 11 TO 18 EXCEPT ON MARCH 16. IT SPREAD INTO THE HARBOUR ON MARCH 12 BUT THE WEATHER WAS SUNNY DURING THE DAY. FOLLOWING TWO CLOUDY DAYS ON MARCH 13 AND 14, THE WEATHER WAS MAINLY FINE

BETWEEN MARCH 15 AND 18.

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