XN000022-1986-06-15 — Page 5

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SUNDAY, JUNE 15, 1986

HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND SQUALLY THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTED HONG KONG ON MAY 11, WITH OVER 200 MM OF RAINFALL RECORDED IN TAI LAM CHUNG, TAI MO SHAN AND TAI PO. FLOODS WERE REPORTED IN MANY PARTS OF THE TERRITORY, THE MORE SERIOUSLY AFFECTED BEING TAI PO AND WAN CHAI. TWO PEOPLE WERE ALMOST DROWNED IN A FAST- FLOWING NULLAH IN TAI PO.

THE HEAVY RAIN CONTINUED ON MAY 12 MORNING, BUT THE WEATHER IMPROVED WITH SUNNY INTERVALS IN THE AFTERNOON AS THE LOW PRESSURE AREA MOVED AWAY FROM HONG KONG TOWARDS TAIWAN.

ALTOGETHER, 48 REPORTS OF FLOODING AND SEVEN OF LANDSLIPS WERE RECEIVED DURING THE DAY BUT THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE RAINSTORM ALSO DAMAGED 110 HECTARES OF VEGETABLE FIELDS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

THE WEATHER BECAME FINE ON MAY 13, APART FROM A FEW THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOPED IN THE EVENING, AND THE TEMPERATURE IN THE AFTERNOON ROSE TO 31.2 DEGREES CELSIUS, THE HIGHEST RECORDED IN THE MONTH.

A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE BROUGHT HEAVY AND THUNDERY SHOWERS EARLY ON MAY 14, CAUSING MINOR FLOODING AND MUDSL IPS IN KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES. THE TROUGH PASSED TO THE SOUTH OF HONG KONG, AND THE WEATHER IMPROVED RAPIDLY LATER IN THE MORNING. A SURGE OF FRESH TO STRONG EASTERLIES ARRIVED IN THE EVENING, WINDY BUT SUNNY CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE NEXT THREE DAYS.

THE WEATHER DETERIORATED ON MAY 18 WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS, AS AN ACTIVE LOW PRESSURE AREA NEAR XISHA MOVED NORTHWARDS.

ON MAY 19 AND 20 SHOWERS BECAME HEAVIER AND MORE FREQUENT WHEN THIS LOW PRESSURE AREA WAS EDGING CLOSER TO HONG KONG FROM THE SOUTHWEST.

THE WEATHER WORSENED ON MAY 21 WITH PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG OFFSHORE EASTERLIES, SHOWERY AND WINDY CONDITIONS CONTINUED THE FOLLOWING DAY.

WINDS MODERATED ON MAY 23 AS THE LOW PRESSURE AREA MOVED EASTWARDS AWAY FROM HONG KONG. THE WEATHER IMPROVED EARLY ON MAY 24 AND IT REMAINED FINE AND HOT APART FROM SOME SHOWERS FROM MAY 25 TO 31.

THREE TROPICAL CYCLONES OCCURRED OVER THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC AND THE SOUTH CHINA SEA DURING THE MONTH. TYPHOON KEN WHICH WEAKENED TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION TOWARDS THE END OF APRIL IN THE VICINITY OF YAP, DISSIPATED OVER THE PACIFIC ABOUT 360 AW WEST-NORTHWEST OF THE ISLAND LATE ON MAY 2.

ZOLA FORMED