XN000022-1983-03-17 — Page 8

THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 1983

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IT TURNED CLOUDY ON FEBRUARY 4 AND THERE WAS A TRACE OF RAIN IN THE EVENING. FROM FEBRUARY 5 TO 10, THE WEATHER WAS RAINY AND COOL. MISTY CONDITIONS PREVAILED DURING THE PERIOD AND THERE WAS SOME COASTAL FOG ON FEBRUARY 6 AND 7.

THE WEATHER DETERIORATED FURTHER ON FEBRUARY 11 AND 12 AND THERE WERE THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY SHOWERS. IT CONTINUED TO BE RAINY AND COOL DURING THE LUNAR NEW YEAR HOLIDAYS FROM FEBRUARY 12 TO 16, DURING WHICH PERIOD FRESH EASTERLY WINDS PREVAILED. THERE WERE ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ON THE EVENING OF FEBRUARY 15. WINDS TURNED NORTHERLY IN THE MORNING OF FEBRUARY 16. WEATHER BECAME FINE, SUNNY AND DRY ON FEBRUARY 17 AND 18, A TOTAL OF 121.0 MM OF RAINFALL WAS RECORDED BETWEEN FEBRUARY 10 AND FEBRUARY 16 AND THIS MADE THE LUNAR NEW YEAR THE WETTEST SINCE 1947.

FROM FEBRUARY 19 UNTIL THE END OF THE MONTH, THE WEATHER WAS CLOUDY WITH RAIN EVERY DAY.

EASTERLY WINDS FRESHENED ON FEBRUARY 19 AND THEY BECAME STRONG OFF SHORE ON THE NIGHT OF FEBRUARY 20. WINDS TURNED NORTHEASTERLY AND THE WEATHER BECAME COOLER ON FEBRUARY 21. WINDS REVERTED TO EASTERLY ON FEBRUARY 22.

MISTY CONDITIONS RETURNED ON FEBRUARY 23 AND FOG BECAME WIDESPREAD ON FEBRUARY 24. FERRY SERVICES WERE DISRUPTED, THE VISIBILITY AT THE HONG KONG AIRPORT WAS REDUCED TO A MINIMUM OF 300 METRES EARLY ON FEBRUARY 24.

A COLD FRONT ARRIVED IN THE AFTERNOON BRINGING NORTHERLY WINDS AND CLEARING THE FOG.

THERE WERE HEAVY SHOWERS ON FEBRUARY 25 AND SOME THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRED ON FEBRUARY 26.

RAIN BECAME LESS FREQUENT ON FEBRUARY 27 AND 28 AND THERE WERE SOME SUNNY PERIODS ON FEBRUARY 28.

SIX AIRCRAFT WERE DIVERTED FROM HONG KONG DUE TO FOG ON FEBRUARY 1 AND 7.

THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS WERE ISSUED ON FEBRUARY 11, 12, 13, 15. 16, 24, 25 AND 26. THE YELLOW FIRE DANGER WARNING WAS IN EFFECT ON FEBRUARY 3-4, 13-15, 17 AND 19 WHILE THE RED FIRE DANGER WARNING WAS IN EFFECT ON FEBRUARY 17-19.

/SIGNALS HOISTED