XN000022-1985-07-16 — Page 7

ON

TUESDA), JULY 16, 1985

+

THE WEATHER BECAME FINE AND SUNNY ON JUNE 17 APART FROM A FEW ISOLATED SHOWERS. HOWEVER. THERE WERE SCATTERED SHOWERS FROM JUNE 18 TO 21 WITH SUNNY INTERVALS REPORTED ONLY IN THE AFTERNOON OF JUNE 21.

WHEN TYPHOON HAL CAME WITHIN 400 NAUTICAL MILES OF HONG KONG ON JUNE 22, THE WEATHER TURNED FINE, SUNNY AND HOT WITH A MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 32.2 DEGREES CELSIUS, THE HIGHEST OF THE MONTH.

AS HAL APPROACHED, THE WEATHER BECAME CLOUDY WITH SQUALLY SHOWERS ON JUNE 23 AND WINDS STRENGTHENED FROM THE NORTHWEST. SQUALLY SHOWERS CONTINUED ON JUNE 24 WITH GALE FORCE NORTHWESTERLY WINDS. THE WIND DIRECTION GRADUALLY CHANGED TO THE SOUTHWEST AND STRONG SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS CONTINUED TO AFFECT HONG KONG UNTIL LATER IN THE MORNING OF JUNE 25.

ON JUNE 25, THERE WERE SQUALLY THUNDERY SHOWERS, HEAVY AT TIMES, DAILY RAINFALL OF 208.1 MM WAS RECORDED WHICH ACCOUNTED FOR 56 PER CENT OF THE MONTH'S TOTAL. LAND, SEA AND AIR TRAFFIC WAS DISRUPTED AND THERE WERE MINOR LANDSLIPS AND FLOODING IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE TERRITORY. ON THE WHOLE, DAMAGE DUE TO TYPHOON HAL WAS SLIGHT.

THERE WERE HEAVY THUNDERY SHOWERS ON JUNE 26 AND SCATTERED SHOWERS CONTINUED ON JUNE 27. THE WEATHER GRADUALLY IMPROVED ON JUNE 28 AND APART FROM SCATTERED SHOWERS, THERE WERE SUNNY INTERVALS FROM JUNE 28 TO 30.

THREE TROPICAL CYCLONES DEVELOPED OVER THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC AND THE SOUTH CHINA SEA DURING THE MONTH:

A TROPICAL DEPRESSION FORMED OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA ABOUT 40 NAUTICAL MILES SOUTHEAST OF XISHA ON JUNE 17. IT REMAINED ALMOST STATIONARY FOR THE FIRST TWO DAYS AND LANDED OVER HAINAN EARLY ON JUNE 20. IT DISSIPATED ABOUT 60 NAUTICAL MILES SOUTHWEST OF HAIKOU THE SAME DAY.

TYPHOON HAL HAD FORMED ABOUT 860 NAUTICAL MILES EAST OF MANILA ON JUNE 19. IT MOVED WEST-NORTHWESTWARDS AND PASSED CLOSE TO THE NORTH OF LUZON ON JUNE 22. IT CROSSED THE NORTHERN PART OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND TURNED NORTH-NORTHWESTWARDS EARLY ON JUNE 24.

HAL LANDED NEAR SHANWEI, ABOUT 65 NAUTICAL MILES EAST- NORTHEAST OF HONG KONG AROUND 2 PM ON JUNE 24, AND FINALLY DISSIPATED ABOUT 140 NAUTICAL MILES NORTH OF HONG KONG ON JUNE 25.

ON JUNE 25, TYPHOON IRMA DEVELOPED ABOUT 880 NAUTICAL MILES SOUTHEAST OF MANILA. IT MOVED NORTHWESTWARDS AT FIRST, BUT TURNED NORTHWARDS ON JUNE 27 OVER THE PACIFIC TO THE EAST OF PHILIPPINES.

/IRMA TOOK