XN000022-1991-01-13 — Page 5

SUNDAY, JANUARY 13, 1991

1990 WARMER AND DRIER ON AVERAGE

* *

IN 1990, SIX OF THE 13 TROPICAL CYCLONES WHICH OCCURRED OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA REQUIRED THE HOISTING OF TROPICAL CYCLONE SIGNALS IN HONG KONG.

HOWEVER, NONE OF THEM NECESSITATED THE HOISTING OF THE GALE

OR STORM SIGNAL, ACCORDING TO THE WEATHER REPORT FOR 1990 ISSUED BY THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY TODAY (SUNDAY).

1990

WITH AUGUST 1990 THE HOTTEST MONTH ON RECORD AND AUGUST 18. THE HOTTEST DAY EVER EXPERIENCED IN HONG KONG, THE YEAR'S MEAN TEMPERATURE OF 23.1 DEGREES WAS 0.3 DEGREE HIGHER THAN THE NORMAL FIGURE.

THE TOTAL RAINFALL IN 1990 WAS 2,046.9 MILLIMETRES, EIGHT PER CENT BELOW THE NORMAL OF 2.224.7 MILLIMETRES.

ONLY

JANUARY 1990 WAS GENERALLY CLOUDY, HUMID AND WET. THERE WERE SEVEN DAYS IN THE MONTH WITH NO RAIN RECORDED AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY. THE TOTAL RAINFALL FOR THE MONTH AMOUNTED TO 47.5 MILLIMETRES, WHICH WAS 77 PER CENT ABOVE NORMAL.

-

FEBRUARY WAS EVEN WETTER AND MORE HUMID. THE MONTHLY TOTAL RAINFALL OF 195.7 MILLIMETRES WAS MORE THAN FOUR-AND-A-HALF TIMES THE NORMAL. AN INTENSE SURGE TOWARDS THE END OF JANUARY REACHED ITS CLIMAX ON FEBRUARY 1 AND BROUGHT TEMPERATURES AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY DOWN TO SEVEN DEGREES.

THE WEATHER IN MARCH TURNED DRIER AND BRIGHTER. THE MONTHLY TOTAL RAINFALL OF 29.9 MILLIMETRES WAS 45 PER CENT BELOW NORMAL.

APART FROM THE LAST 10 DAYS OF THE

MONTH, THE DAILY MEAN PRESSURE STAYED CONSISTENTLY ON THE HIGH SIDE AS A CONTINENTAL ANTICYCLONE PREVAILED OVER CHINA. AS A RESULT, THE MONTHLY MEAN PRESSURE OF 1,018.2 HECTOPASCALS WAS THE FIFTH HIGHEST ON RECORD FOR MARCH.

APRIL WAS GLOOMY AND WET. WERE RECORDED FOR THE WHOLE MONTH. FOR APRIL.

ONLY 73.8 HOURS OF BRIGHT SUNSHINE THIS WAS THE 10TH LOWEST ON RECORD

THERE WAS ONLY THREE DAYS IN THE MONTH WHEN NO RAINFALL WAS RECORDED AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY. THE MONTHLY TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTED TO 257.6 MILLIMETRES WHICH WAS 85 PER CENT ABOVE NORMAL.

PER

ON THE MORNING OF APRIL 11, GUSTS OF UP TO 135 KILOMETRES HOUR WERE RECORDED AT WAGLAN ISLAND IN SEVERE SQUALLS ACCOMPANYING HEAVY DOWNPOUR. THIS WAS THE STRONGEST GUST EVER RECORDED AT STATION IN THE MONTH OF APRIL.

THAT

MAY WAS RELATIVELY DRY WITH A MONTHLY TOTAL RAINFALL OF 102.4 MILLIMETRES WHICH WAS JUST OVER ONE-THIRD OF THE NORMAL.

/TROPICAL CYCLONE