XN000022-1993-10-16 — Page 6

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1993

WINDS OFFSHORE INCREASED TO GALE FORCE ON THE MORNING SEPTEMBER 17 AND THE WEATHER DETERIORATED RAPIDLY WITH HEAVY SHOWERS AND STORMY WEATHER OCCURRING THROUGHOUT THE DAY,

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AFTER BECKY MADE LANDFALL AND DISSIPATED OVER WESTERN GUANGDONG ON SEPTEMBER 18, SHOWERS GRADUALLY DECREASED AND THE WEATHER IMPROVED PROGRESSIVELY. IT WAS SUNNY AND FINE ON SEPTEMBER 20 AND 21. THE HOTTEST DAY OF THE MONTH OCCURRED ON SEPTEMBER 21 WHEN TEMPERATURES ROSE TO A MAXIMUM OF 32.1 DEGREES.

AS TROPICAL DEPRESSION DOT DRIFTED ACROSS THE NORTHERN PART OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA, IT BECAME SLOW-MOVING OVER THE WATERS EAST OF HAINAN ISLAND. WEATHER IN HONG KONG BECAME UNSETTLED ON SEPTEMBER 23.

EASTERLY WINDS FRESHENED OFFSHORE WITH ALMOST CONTINUOUS RAIN. STRENGTHENING NORTHEAST MONSOON PROMPTED THE HOISTING OF THE STRONG MONSOON SIGNAL ON SEPTEMBER 24. AS DOT INTENSIFIED EXPLOSIVELY TO A TYPHOON ON SEPTEMBER 25, WINDS ALONG THE SOUTH CHINA COAST WERE FURTHER ENHANCED.

AT THE SAME TIME, DOT TURNED NORTHEASTWARDS TOWARDS THE COAST OF WESTERN GUANGDONG, MOVING CLOSER TO HONG KONG. THE STRONG MONSOON SIGNAL WAS REPLACED BY THE NO. 3 STRONG WIND SIGNAL THAT AFTERNOON, BYPASSING THE NO. 1 STANDBY SIGNAL, IN A SEQUENCE OF SIGNAL CHANGES SIMILAR TO WHAT OCCURRED IN 1973.

LOCAL WEATHER DETERIORATED WITH MORE HEAVY RAIN. ON SEPTEMBER 26 WHEN TYPHOON DOT WAS CLOSEST, TORRENTIAL RAIN WAS ALMOST CONTINUOUS. FROM SEPTEMBER 23 TO 27, NEARLY 500 MILLIMETRES OF RAINFALL WERE RECORDED AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY.

PROLONGED HEAVY RAIN ALSO NECESSITATED THE ISSUANCE OF BOTH THE FLOOD AND LANDSLIP WARNINGS.

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THE MORNING OF SEPTEMBER 27, THE NORTHERN PART OF THE NEW TERRITORIES WAS COMPLETELY INUNDATED WITH FLOOD WATER AS DEEP AS 7 METRES IN SOME PLACES. THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE IN THE MONTH WAS 22.6 DEGREES, RECORDED THAT MORNING IN HEAVY RAIN.

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THE WEATHER IMPROVED ON SEPTEMBER 27 AS TYPHOON DOT LANDED WEAKENED OVER WESTERN GUANGDONG. WINDS SUBSIDED AND RAIN CEASED DURING THE DAY. APART FROM SOME ISOLATED SHOWERS, GENERALLY FINE WEATHER PREVAILED TILL THE END OF SEPTEMBER.

SEVEN TROPICAL CYCLONES OCCURRED OVER THE WESTERN NORTH PACIFIC AND THE SOUTH CHINA SEA IN SEPTEMBER 1993.

AS A RESULT OF INCLEMENT WEATHER, 30 AIRCRAFT WERE DIVERTED FROM HONG KONG DURING THE MONTH.

DETAILS ON THE ISSUANCE/HOISTING AND CANCELLATION/LOWERING VARIOUS WARNINGS/SIGNALS IN THE MONTH ARE SUMMARISED IN TABLE 1.1. MONTHLY METEOROLOGICAL FIGURES AND DEPARTURES FROM NORMAL SEPTEMBER 1993 ARE TABULATED IN TABLE 1.2.

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/TABLE 1.1