XN000022-1987-01-11 — Page 9

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, 1987

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MIXED BAG OF CHANGING WEATHER IN DECEMBER

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DECEMBER LAST YEAR WAS CHARACTERISED BY A RAINY AND CHANGEABLE START. A SIGNIFICANT COLD SNAP ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH AND AN UNSEASONABLE WARM EPISODE LEADING TO AND THROUGH CHRISTMAS AND THE NEW YEAR, THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY ANNOUNCED TODAY.

THE TOTAL MONTHLY RAINFALL OF 46.6 MM WAS ABOUT TWICE THE MEAN AND THIS BROUGHT THE ANNUAL TOTAL TO 2 338.3 MM, ABOUT 5 PER CENT ABOVE NORMAL. THE MEAN TEMPERATURE OF 17.7 DEGREES CELSIUS WAS NORMAL.

THE MORNING OF DECEMBER 1 WAS SUNNY AND MILD BUT THE WEATHER GRADUALLY WORSENED WITH LIGHT RAIN EARLY THE NEXT DAY.

FRESHENING NORTHERLIES BROUGHT RATHER HEAVY RAIN ON

BETWEEN 3 AM AND 7 AM. DECEMBER 3, PARTICULARLY AROUND DAWN. RAINFALL TOTALLING 25.7 MM WAS RECORDED, ACCOUNTING FOR ABOUT 55 PER CENT OF THE MONTH'S TOTAL.

DRY AIR FROM THE NORTH REACHED HONG KONG ON DECEMBER 4 CLEARING THE WEATHER. HOWEVER, CLOUDY CONDITIONS RESUMED DURING THE NEXT. FOUR DAYS WITH SOME LIGHT RAIN ON DECEMBER 6 AND 7.

FINE AND SUNNY CONDITIONS DOMINATED THE PERIOD FROM DECEMBER 9 TO 14.

STRONG EASTERLIES ASSOCIATED WITH A SURGE OF THE WINTER MONSOON AFFECTED HONG KONG ON DECEMBER 15, BLOWING DOWN A SIGNBOARD WHICH INJURED A PEDESTRIAN IN MONG KOK.

THE NEXT TWO DAYS WERE CLOUDY WITH SOME DRIZZLES.

A COLD FRONT WHICH DEVELOPED OVER SOUTH CHINA ON DECEMBER 17 SWEPT THROUGH HONG KONG THE NEXT DAY. TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW TWENTIES DURING THE EARLY MORNING FELL GRADUALLY DURING THE DAY AS FRESH TO STRONG NORTHERLIES SET IN BY THE AFTERNOON. GUSTS OF 79 KM/H AND 90 KM/H WERE REPORTED AT CHEUNG CHAU AND WAGLAN ISLAND.

TEMPERATURES FELL CONTINUALLY AND REACHED A MINIMUM OF 10.1 DEGREES CELSIUS EARLY ON DECEMBER 19, THE LOWEST RECORDED AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY SO FAR THIS WINTER.

IN THE NEW TERRITORIES IT WAS MUCH COLDER, WITH A MINIMUM OF 7.5 DEGREES CELSIUS RECORDED AT CASTLE PEAK AND ONLY 0.5 DEGREE CELSIUS ON TAI MO SHAN.

/ALTHOUGH WINDS