XN000022-1993-10-16 — Page 5

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1993

WEATHER OF SEPTEMBER

**

THREE TROPICAL CYCLONES, ABE, BECKY AND DOT. AFFECTED HONG KONG WITHIN A FORTNIGHT IN SEPTEMBER.

THE CLOSE PASSAGES OF BECKY AND DOT, IN PARTICULAR, BROUGHT STORMY WEATHER, NECESSITATING THE HOISTING OF THE NO. 8 GALE OR STORM SIGNALS ON SEPTEMBER 17 AND 26 RESPECTIVELY.

INCLUDING THE PASSAGES OF KORYN AND TASHA EARLIER IN THE SEASON, THE NO. 8 SIGNALS HAD ALREADY BEEN HOISTED FOUR TIMES THIS YEAR, JUST ONE TIME SHORT OF THE RECORD SET IN 1964.

THE FAST-MOVING BECKY THIS YEAR WREAKED HAVOC OVER THE SOUTH CHINA COASTAL WATERS WHERE A NUMBER OF SHIPS AND VESSELS WERE CAUGHT IN DIFFICULTIES WITH TRAGIC LOSS OF LIVES.

DOT WAS SLOW-MOVING AND BROUGHT DAYS OF TORRENTIAL RAIN TO HONG KONG, CULMINATING IN EXTENSIVE FLOODING OVER THE NORTHERN PART OF THE NEW TERRITORIES ON SEPTEMBER 26 AND 27.

THE 223.9 MILLIMETRES OF RAINFALL RECORDED ON SEPTEMBER 26 WAS THE THIRD HIGHEST DAILY AMOUNT IN SEPTEMBER ON RECORD.

WITH A MONTHLY RAINFALL OF 655.9 MILLIMETRES, MORE THAN TWICE THE NORMAL OF 299.7 MILLIMETRES, SEPTEMBER 1993 BECAME THE FIFTH WETTEST SEPTEMBER ON RECORD.

FOUR PERIOD.

4.

TOTAL RAINFALL SINCE JANUARY 1 AMOUNTED TO 2,095.8 MILLIMETRES, PER CENT ABOVE THE NORMAL OF 2,007.1 MILLIMETRES FOR THE SAME

AFTER SOME SHOWERS EARLY ON SEPTEMBER 1, A LONG, FINE SPELL LASTED TILL SEPTEMBER 12, EXCEPT FOR SOME LIGHT SHOWERS ON SEPTEMBER UNDER CALM CONDITIONS THAT DAY, EXTENSIVE HAZE FORMED IN THE MORNING WITH RANGES OF VISIBILITY OF LESS THAN 5,000 METRES INSIDE THE HARBOUR. HOWEVER, THE HAZE DISPERSED AS WINDS TURNED EASTERLY IN THE AFTERNOON.

WHEN ABE ENTERED THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AS A SEVERE TROPICAL STORM ON 12 SEPTEMBER, LOCAL WEATHER REMAINED GENERALLY FINE. CLOUDINESS INCREASED IN THE AFTERNOON.

THE OUTERMOST RAINBANDS OF ABE BEGAN TO AFFECT THE TERRITORY THE NEXT DAY. SQUALLY HEAVY SHOWERS WERE PARTICULARLY FREQUENT IN THE AFTERNOON ON SEPTEMBER 13.

AS ABE MOVED INLAND AND DISSIPATED ON SEPTEMBER 14, SHOWERS EASED OFF AND THE WEATHER BRIGHTENED UP LATER IN THE DAY. PERIODS OF SUNSHINE OCCURRED OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.

ACROSS

MEANWHILE, BECKY DEVELOPED INTO A TROPICAL STORM AND CROSSED THE LUZON STRAIT ON SEPTEMBER 16, MOVING RAPIDLY, IT RAMPAGED THE NORTHERN PART OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA.

/WINDS OFFSHORE