XN000022-1984-01-16 — Page 7

MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 1984

SECOND LONGEST DRY SPELL RECORDED

****

A PERIOD OF 62 DAYS ENDING ON DECEMBER 26, 1983 WAS THE SECOND LONGEST DRY SPELL ON RECORD, ACCORDING TO THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY'S MONTHLY REVIEW FOR DECEMBER JUST PUBLISHED.

NO MEASURABLE RAIN WAS RECORDED DURING THE PERIOD. AND THE MONTH'S TOTAL RAINFALL OF 7.4 MM WAS ONLY 29 PER CENT OF THE NORMAL AMOUNT.

THE LONGEST DRY SPELL ON RECORD, OF 67 DAYS, WAS FROM DECEMBER 8, 1980 TO FEBRUARY 12, 1981.

BECAUSE OF THE DRYNESS, THE RED FIRE DANGER WARNING WAS IN EFFECT FROM DECEMBER 7 TO 29, THE LONGEST CONTINUOUS PERIOD FOR THIS WARNING.

AS THE FIRE RISK WAS HIGH, COUNTRY PARKS AT TAI LAM CHUNG, TAI MO SHAN. SHING MUN AND POK FU LAM TOGETHER WITH THE NATURE RESERVE AT TAI PO KAU WERE CLOSED FROM DECEMBER 3 ONWARDS.

ACCORDING TO THE REVIEW, OVER 680 HILL FIRES WERE REPORTED LAST MONTH.

THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF THE YEAR, 6.1 DEGREE CELSIUS, AS RECORDED ON DECEMBER 30, WAS THE SIXTH LOWEST FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER SINCE RECORDS BEGAN IN 1884.

22.

THE WEATHER WAS GENERALLY FINE AND MILD FROM DECEMBER 1 TO

BUT A SURGE OF WINTER MONSOON ARRIVED DURING THE NIGHT OF DECEMBER 22, CAUSING TEMPERATURES TO DROP, WINDS FRESHENED FROM THE NORTH AND WERE STRONG IN EXPOSED AREAS UNTIL THE FOLLOWING MORNING.

CLOUDY WEATHER SET IN AND LASTED TILL DECEMBER 28, WHILE TEMPERATURES DROPPED FURTHER, REACHING A MINIMUM OF 10.7 DEGREE CELSIUS ON DECEMBER 25 WHEN A 60-YEAR-OLD MAN WAS FOUND DEAD IN SHEK KIP MEI.

WINDS BECAME FRESH TO STRONG EASTERLY ON DECEMBER 28 AND THE CLOUDY WEATHER WAS INTERRUPTED BY SUNNY PERIODS DURING THE DAY,

CLOUDS RETURNED IN THE EVENING AND THERE WERE PATCHES OF LIGHT RAIN OVERNIGHT.

AN INTENSE SURGE OF WINTER MONSOON ARRIVED FROM THE NORTH EARLY ON DECEMBER 29, WITH WINDS TURNING NORTHERLY AND BECOMING STRONG IN EXPOSED AREAS. THE WEATHER REMAINED CLOUDY WITH LIGHT RAIN AND TEMPERATURES DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY.

IN THE MORNING OF DECEMBER 30, A MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 6.1 DEGREE CELSIUS, THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE OF THE YEAR, WAS RECORDED AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY, HOAR FROST WAS REPORTED AT TAI NO SHAN AND TATE'S CAIRN WHERE TEMPERATURES DROPPED TO -3.6 DEGREE CELSIUS AND -0.1 DEGREE CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY.

/THE COLD