XN000022-1984-04-11 — Page 6

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 1984

LOWEST RAINFALL FOR FIVE MONTHS

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THE RAINFALL FROM LAST NOVEMEBR TO MARCH WAS THE LOWEST ON RECORD FOR THE CORRESPONDING FIVE-MONTH PERIOD AND THE SECOND LOWEST FOR ANY FIVE CONSECUTIVE MONTHS, ACCORDING TO THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY'S MONTHLY REPORT.

THIS RAINFALL TOTALLED 27.2 MM WHILE THAT FOR MARCH WAS 13.6 MM, ONLY ABOUT A QUARTER OF THE NORMAL LEVEL FOR THE MONTH.

THE MEAN CLOUDINESS OF 91 PE CENT IN MARCH WAS 15 PER CENT ABOVE AVERAGE WHILE THE TOTAL DURATION OF SUNSHINE, 52.4 HOURS, WAS ONLY 52 PER CENT OF THE NORMAL AMOUNT.

AFTER A COLD DAY ON MARCH 1, COOL AND CLOUDY WEATHER PREVAILED FROM MARCH 5 TO 12 WITH UCCASIONAL LIGHT RAIN.

WITH CONDITIONS BECOMING INCREASINGLY HUMID, FOG WAS REPORTED DAILY AT WAGLAN ISLAND FROM MARCH 12 TO 20 AND AFFECTED THE VICTORIA HARBOUR AS ELL.

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AS A RESULT, 21 AIRCRAFT WER: DIVERTED FROM HONG KONG AND FERRY SERVICES ON SEVERAL ROUTE · TRE SUSPENDED FROM TIME TO TIME.

THE FOG ALSO CAUSED A JETFOIL TO RUN AGROUND ON MARCH 13 AS WELL AS COLLISIONS BETWEEN A FISHING BOAT AND A CARGO SHIP THE SAME DAY, BETWEEN A MACAU-BOUND FERRY AND A LAUNCH ON MARCH 14, AND BETWEEN A MARINE PO ICE LAUNCH AND A CARGO BOAT ON MARCH 15.

WARM WEATHER PREVAILED FROM MARCH 14 TILL 16 WHEN A WEAK COLD FRONT PASSED THROUGH HONG KONG AROUND MIDNIGHT.

THERE WERE PERIODS OF LIGHT RAIN ON MARCH 17 AND 18, FOLLOWED BY THE FIRST THUNDERSTORMS OF THE YEAR ON MARCH 19.

ANOTHER COLD FRONT ARRIVED IN THE MORNING OF MARCH 20, BRINGING MORE RAIN AND DISPERSING THE FOG.

MIST AND COASTAL FOG RETURNED IN THE EVENING OF MARCH 24 BUT DISSIPATED THE FOLLOWING MORNING WHEN COOL AIR ARRIVED FROM THE EAST.

THE CLOUDY WEATHER WITH OCCASIONAL LIGHT RAIN FROM MARCH 25 TO 29 WAS FOLLOWED BY SUNNY PERIODS ON MARCH 30.

BUT WIDESPREAD FOG OCCURRED AGAIN EARLY ON MARCH 31, CAUSING THE DIVERSION OF THREE AIRCRAFT FROM HONG KONG AND THE SUSPENSION OF SERVICES ON SEVERAL FERRY ROUTES.

THE FOG TEMPORARILY DISPERSED IN THE AFTERNOON WHEN THE TEMPERATURE ROSE TO A MAXIMUM OF 27.5 DEGREES CELSIUS HIGHEST OF THE MONTH.

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