XN000022-1987-04-17 — Page 2

FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 1987

WET AND WARM MARCH SETS NEW RECORD

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WITH A MEAN MONTHLY TEMPERATURE OF 21.3 DEGREES CELSIUS, MARCH 1987 WAS THE WARMEST MARCH ON RECORD, THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY ANNOUNCED TODAY (FRIDAY).

THE THREE PRECEDING MONTHS WERE ALSO WARMER THAN USUAL AND THE MEAN TEMPERATURE FOR THE FOUR CONSECUTIVE MONTHS ENDING MARCH, 18.7 DEGREES CELSIUS, WAS THE HIGHEST ON RECORD.

MARCH WAS ALSO VERY WET WITH A TOTAL RAINFALL OF 234.0 MILLIMETRES, MORE THAN FOUR TIMES THE NORMAL AMOUNT.

THE TORRENTIAL THUNDERSTORMS FROM MARCH 16 TO 18 RESULTED IN 194.7 MM OF RAINFALL, THE HIGHEST RECORDED FOR ANY THREE-DAY PER FOL IN MARCH. ON MARCH 18 HAIL WAS REPORTED IN NORTHERN KOWLOON AND THE EASTERN PART OF THE NEW TERRITORIES.

THE FIRST THREE DAYS OF MARCH WAS COOL AND DRY WITH PLENTY OF SUNSHINE ON MARCH 2. WARMER AND HUMID CONDITIONS SET IN ON MARCH 4. MORNING MIST WAS REPORTED ON MARCH 5 BUT IT WAS SUNNY AND WARM IN THE AFTERNOON.

A SOUTHERLY AIRSTREAM BROUGHT WARM AND CLOUDY WEATHER WITH SOME RAIN OVER THE NEXT FOUR DAYS. ON MARCH 10, THE WEATHER WAS MAINLY FINE APART FROM MIST AND FOG DURING THE MORNING.

ON MARCH 11 AND 12, FRESH WINDS FROM THE EAST GAVE RISE TO CLOUDY AND FOGGY WEATHER WITH DRIZZLE,

OVER THE NEXT TWO DAYS, SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS SET IN AND THE WEATHER IMPROVED WITH SUNNY PERIODS DURING THE DAY. ON MARCH 14.

IT WAS VERY WARM WITH A MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 27.0 DEGREES CELSius, THE HIGHEST RECORDED SO FAR THIS YEAR.

ON THE MORNING OF MARCH 15, THE WINTER MONSOON ARRIVED FROM THE EAST BRINGING MIST AND LIGHT RAIN AGAIN. TEMPERATURES FELL TO

A MINIMUM OF 19.5 DEGREES CELSIUS IN THE EVENING.

WITH A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE JUST TO THE NORTH OF HONG KONG AND VERY ACTIVE MOISTURE-LADEN SOUTHWESTERLIES ALOFT WIDESPREAD SQUALLY THUNDERSTORMS BROKE OUT AROUND DAWN ON MARCH 16 AND CONTINUED FOR MOST OF THE DAY.

SQUALLS WITH GUSTS UP TO 62 KILOMETRES PER HOUR FELL A 10-METRE TREE IN HO MAN TIN AND BLEW DOWN A SCAFFOLDING IN CHEUNG SHA WAN, DAMAGING A LORRY AND A TAXI.

HEAVY AND THUNDERY SHOWERS CONTINUED THE NEXT DAY. THEY WERE PARTICULARLY INTENSE BETWEEN 9 AM AND 10 AM RESULTING IN 50.1 MM OF RAINFALL, THE HIGHEST HOURLY RAINFALL RECORDED FOR MARCH. THE RAINFALL OF 126.4 MM FOR THE DAY ALSO BROKE THE DAILY RECORD FOR MARCH.

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THE TORRENTIAL