XN000022-1988-01-10 — Page 5

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 10, 1988

THE INTENSE WINTER MONSOON WHICH

BROUGHT

RECORD-BREAKING LOW

TEMPERATURES TO HONG KONG AT THE END OF NOVEMBER CONTINUED TO PREVAIL FOR THE FIRST TWO DAYS IN DECEMBER WITH MINIMUM TEMPERATURES OF BELOW 10 DEGREES.

WINDS OFFSHORE REMAINED STRONG ON DECEMBER 1 BUT GRADUALLY MODERATED THE NEXT DAY.

DAYTIME

SUNNY WEATHER ON DECEMBER 3 BROUGHT MILDER TEMPERATURES TO HONG KONG AND THE TEMPERATURE CONTINUED TO RISE ON DECEMBER 4.

ANOTHER SURGE OF THE WINTER MONSOON ARRIVED EARLY ON DECEMBER 5 MARKING THE BEGINNING OF A LONG FINE SPELL.

OF

WINDS OFFSHORE BECAME STRONG DURING THE EARLY HOURS DECEMBER 6. DRY AIR ASSOCIATED WITH THE MONSOON SENT THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY DOWN TO A LOW OF 29 PER CENT ON THAT DAY AND 52 HILL FIRES WERE REPORTED.

THE SURGE ALSO BROUGHT THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE ON THE NEXT DAY TO 7.8 DEGREES WHICH WAS THE LOWEST OF THE MONTH.

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AT TAI MO SHAN A MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 1 DEGREE BELOW FREEZING POINT WAS RECORDED, BUT NO FROST WAS REPORTED.

9.

FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS, SUNNY AND MILDER WEATHER PREVAILED. WINDS MODERATED AND BECAME EASTERLY DURING THE DAY ON DECEMBER THIS BROUGHT SLIGHTLY MORE HUMID CONDITIONS AND PROGRESSIVELY HIGHER TEMPERATURES.

REPLENISHMENT OF THE WINTER MONSOON ARRIVED ON DECEMBER 11. AND TEMPERATURES FELL FROM A MAXIMUM OF 20.9 DEGREES ON THAT DAY TO A MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 12.3 DEGREES THE NEXT MORNING.

WINDS TURNED EASTERLY ON DECEMBER 13 AND THE WEATHER BECAME CLOUDY ON DECEMBER 14 WITH A TRACE OF RAINFALL DURING THE NIGHT. A WEAK SURGE OF THE WINTER MONSOON ARRIVED ON DECEMBER 15 AND IT WAS FINE AND SUNNY ON DECEMBER 16 AND 17.

ON DECEMBER 18. SOME LIGHT

19. IN THE SAME EVENING,

THE WEATHER TURNED CLOUDY AGAIN RAIN PATCHES ALSO OCCURRED ON DECEMBER ANOTHER SURGE OF THE DRY WINTER MONSOON ARRIVED AND WINDS OFFSHORE FRESHENED FROM THE NORTH.

ON DECEMBER 20 THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY DROPPED TO WHICH WAS THE LOWEST RECORDED SO FAR THIS WINTER AND WERE REPORTED.

23 PER CENT, 106 HILL FIRES

NECESSITATED THE

THE FIRES NEAR SHAM TSENG AND AT TAI MO SHAN CLOSURE OF THE TUEN MUN HIGHWAY AND THE LAM KAM ROAD FOR SEVERAL HOURS. MORE THAN 10,000 TREES WERE DESTROYED IN THE SERIOUS HILL FIRE WHICH OCCURRED IN TAI MO SHAN COUNTRY PARK ON DECEMBER 21.

/AS THE