XN000022-1983-10-11 — Page 11

10

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1983

ELLEN WAS WORST STORM IN FOUR YEARS

******

ELLEN WAS THE WORST TYPHOON TO STRIKE HONG KONG SINCE HOPE IN 1979, THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY REPORTED TODAY.

SEVERAL PEOPLE WERE KILLED, SOME OTHERS WERE REPORTED MISSING, AND ABOUT 330 MORE WERE INJURED AS A RESULT OF THE TYPHOON.

SIGNAL NO. 10, HOISTED WHEN TYPHOON ELLEN STRUCK ALMOST DIRECTLY ON SEPTEMBER 9, LASTED FOR EIGHT HOURS, AS MANY HOURS AS WHEN DISASTROUS TYPHOON WANDA STRUCK IN 1962.

ELLEN'S HURRICANE FORCE WINDS LASTED FOR FIVE HOURS AT CHEUNG CHAU, LONGER THAN THE TIME WHEN WANDA STRUCK IN 1962, TYPHOON ROSÉ IN 1971 OR TYPHOON HOPE IN 1979.

A MAXIMUM GUST OF 128 KNOTS WAS RECORDED AT CHEUNG CHAU, THE HIGHEST RECORDED THERE SINCE 1953. AT WAGLAN ISLAND, GUSTS REACHED 122 KNOTS, THE HIGHEST SINCE TYPHOON RUBY IN 1964.

ELLEN ORIGINATED AS A TROPICAL DEPRESSION NEAR THE

MARSHALL ISLANDS OVER THE PACIFIC ON AUGUST 29. IT MOVED WESTWARDS AND INTENSIFIED INTO A TYPHOON ON SEPTEMBER 4, ABOUT 520 NAUTICAL MILES EAST OF MANILA.

ELLEN ATTAINED ITS MAXIMUM INTENSITY DURING THE MORNING OF SEPTEMBER 6, AND ENTERED THE SOUTH CHINA SEA THE NEXT MORNING. IT CONTINUED WEST-NORTHWESTWARDS AT 8 KNOTS, APPROACHING THE SOUTH CHINA COAST ON SEPTEMBER 8. ELLEN PASSED TO THE SOUTH OF HONG KONG, MOVING IN A NORTHWEST DIRECTION. IT CAME CLOSEST TO HONG KONG AROUND 7 AM ON SEPTEMBER 9, WITH ITS CENTRE ABOUT SEVEN NAUTICAL MILES OFF FAN LAU, THE SOUTHWESTERN TIP OF LANTAU ISLAND.

TYPHOON ELLEN THEN MOVED OVER MACAU, AGAIN CAUSING DEATH AND DESTRUCTION. IT LATER MOVED NORTH-NORTHWEST INTO GUANGDONG, CAUSING TREMENDOUS DAMAGE TO EIGHT COUNTIES IN THE PROVINCE.

FINALLY, MOVING FURTHER INLAND, ELLEN WEAKENED INTO A TROPICAL STORM AND DISSIPATED RAPIDLY DURING THE NIGHT.

IN HONG KONG, THE STAND-BY SIGNAL NO. 1 WAS HOISTED AT 5 AM ON SEPTEMBER 7 WHEN ELLEN WAS ABOUT 420 NAUTICAL MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF HONG KONG. WINDS WERE LIGHT AND MAINLY FROM THE EAST, BUT BECAME NORTHERLY THE NEXT MORNING.

THE STRONG WIND SIGNAL NO. 3 WAS HOISTED AT 7.45 AM AND THE WINDS BECAME FRESH TO STRONG DURING THE AFTERNOON. THE NORTHEASTERLY

BY 9 PM, GALE OR STORM SIGNAL NO. 8 NE WAS HOISTED AT 4.45 PM. WINDS OVER HONG KONG WERE GENERALLY STRONG FROM THE NORTH TO NORTHEAST AND GALE WAS REPORTED AT WAGLAN ISLAND.

/BETWEEN KIDNIGHT