XN000022-1990-01-13 — Page 4

SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 1990

3

1989 RAINFALL BELOW AVERAGE DESPITE BRENDA'S DELUGE

TYPHOON BRENDA, WHICH BROUGHT 439.4

MILLIMETRES OF RAINFALL IN MAY, RANKED AS THE 10TH WETTEST STORM ON RECORD, BUT TOTAL RAINFALL FOR THE YEAR WAS BELOW AVERAGE.

IN ITS REPORT ON THE YEAR'S WEATHER, RELEASED TODAY (SATURDAY) + THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY SAID BRENDA WAS ONE OF 11 TROPICAL CYCLONES WHICH TRAVERSED THE SOUTH CHINA SEA DURING THE YEAR. SEVEN REQUIRED

THE HOISTING OF TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING SIGNALS IN HONG KONG.

ALTHOUGH THE RAINFALL ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL CYCLONES AMOUNTED TO 646.4 MILLIMETRES WHICH WAS 14 PER CENT ABOVE AVERAGE, THE ANNUAL RAINFALL WAS ONLY 1,944.6 MILLIMETRES, 13 PER CENT BELOW THE NORMAL OF 2,224.7 MILLIMETRES.

IN JANUARY, IT RAINED ON 19 DAYS BUT RAINFALL AMOUNTED TO ONLY 23.9 MILLIMETRES. THIS WAS SLIGHTLY BELOW THE NORMAL FIGURE OF 26.9 MILLIMETRES FOR JANUARY. IT WAS FOGGY ON JANUARY 8 AND THE VISIBILITY AT WAGLAN ISLAND AND IN THE HARBOUR WAS REDUCED TO 100 AND 600 METRES RESPECTIVELY. THE FOGGY CONDITIONS AFFECTED FERRY SERVICES BETWEEN

HONG KONG AND MACAU.

FEBRUARY WAS A VERY DRY MONTH. THE MONTHLY TOTAL RAINFALL WAS ONLY 2.7 MILLIMETRES, THE EIGHTH LOWEST ON RECORD FOR FEBRUARY. IT WAS FOGGY FROM FEBRUARY 16 TO 18, RESULTING IN THE SUSPENSION OF FERRY SERVICES TO SOME OUTLYING ISLANDS AND ALSO AFFECTING AIR TRAFFIC IN AND OUT OF HONG KONG,

IT WAS DRIER THAN USUAL IN MARCH, WITH A MEAN RELATIVE HUMIDITY OF 75 PER CENT, THE FIFTH LOWEST ON RECORD FOR MONTHLY TOTAL RAINFALL OF 47.8 MILLIMETRES WAS 13 PER CENT THE NORMAL AMOUNT OF 54.8 MILLIMETRES FOR MARCH.

MARCH.

LESS

THE THAN

WITH ONLY SEVEN DAYS IN THE MONTH WITHOUT RAIN, THE TOTAL LOWEST DURATION OF BRIGHT SUNSHINE IN APRIL WAS 71.1 HOURS, THE NINTH

CHINA ON RECORD FOR APRIL. A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE REACHED THE SOUTH COAST DURING THE EVENING OF APRIL 22, BRINGING SHOWERS THUNDERSTORMS TO THE TERRITORY. RAINFALL WAS ESPECIALLY HEAVY IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, WHERE 25 CASES OF FLOODING WERE REPORTED.

MAY WAS AN EVENTFUL MONTH IN WEATHER TERMS. ABOVE NORMAL AND TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING THE FIRST TIME IN THE YEAR.

SIGNALS

AND

RAINFALL WAS MUCH WERE HOISTED FOR

THE HOISTING OF AUGUST

NECESSITATED THE APPROACH OF TYPHOON BRENDA THE NO. 8 GALE OR STORM SIGNAL WHICH HAD NOT BEEN RAISED SINCE 1996.

THE MONTHLY TOTAL RAINFALL OF 771.9 MILLIMETRES WAS THE FOURTH HIGHEST ON RECORD FOR MAY. MOST OF THE RAIN IN THE MONTH WAS ASSOCIATED WITH AN ACTIVE TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE AT THE BEGINNING

WHICH AFFECTED THE SOUTH THE MONTH AND WITH TYPHOON BRENDA, COASTAL AREAS FROM MAY 19 TO 21.

OF

CHINA

/ON MAY 2,