XN000022-1993-12-14 — Page 19

RELATIVELY COOL

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1993

WEATHER BROUGHT BY A SURGE OF THE WINTER MONSOON TOWARDS THE END OF OCTOBER CONTINUED INTO NOVEMBER.

THE WEATHER WAS BRILLIANTLY FINE TO START WITH BUT TURNED CLOUDIER OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.

AS TYPHOON IRA MOVED INTO THE SOUTH CHINA SEA, NORTHERLY WINDS FRESHENED ON THE NIGHT OF NOVEMBER 2 AND BECAME STRONG OFFSHORE LATE IN THE EVENING ON NOVEMBER 3.

WITH IRA MOVING TOWARDS THE COAST OF WESTERN GUANGDONG, WINDS TURNED EASTERLY ON NOVEMBER 4 AND REACHED GALE FORCE STRENGTH OFFSHORE AND ON HIGH GROUND.

LANDING IN WINDY AND RAINY CONDITIONS, A BOEING-747 AIRCRAFT SKIDDED OFF THE RUNWAY TO THE HARBOUR AROUND NOON TIME.

RAIN WAS PERSISTENT THROUGHOUT THE DAY ON NOVEMBER 4 AND TURNED HEAVY DURING THE NIGHT. FROM MIDNIGHT TO DAYBREAK, A NORTH-SOUTH ORIENTATED RAINBAND REMAINED ALMOST STATIONARY OVER THE WESTERN PART OF THE TERRITORY.

ALONG THIS CORRIDOR OF ACTIVE CONVECTION, INTENSE RAIN CELLS DEVELOPED EXPLOSIVELY OVER THE COASTAL WATERS AND MOVED NORTHWARDS, HITTING LANTAU ISLAND AND THE TUEN MUN AREA REPEATEDLY.

ALTOGETHER, MORE THAN 700 MILLIMETRES OF RAIN WERE RECORDED NEAR CHEK LAP KOK DURING THE PASSAGE OF IRA ON NOVEMBER 4 AND 5.

ABOUT 80

CASES OF FLOODING AND 15 CASES OF LANDSLIDES WERE REPORTED ON LANTAU AND IN TUEN MUN AND YUEN LONG.

OF

AN INUNDATED WATER TREATMENT PLANT IN TUEN MUN AND A BURST WATER MAINS ON CHEUNG CHAU RESULTED IN THESE AREAS HAVING NO FRESH WATER SUPPLY FOR FOUR DAYS.

EXTENSIVE LANDSLIDES MADE THE MAJOR ROADS ON LANTAU ISLAND

VIRTUALLY IMPASSABLE.

5.

WINDS AND RAIN EASED OFF DURING THE DAY ON NOVEMBER FOLLOWING SOME LIGHT RAIN THAT NIGHT AND EARLY NEXT DAY, THE WEATHER. TURNED BRIGHTER ON NOVEMBER 7 AS TEMPERATURES CLIMBED TO THE MONTH'S HIGHEST OF 27.8 DEGREES.

FOR THE NEXT 11 DAYS, THE WEATHER WAS GENERALLY FINE APART FROM OCCASIONAL LIGHT RAIN IN THE EARLY HOURS.

DURING THE PERIOD, THE WINTER MONSOON REMAINED RATHER INACTIVE. WEAK NORTHERLY AIRSTREAM ON NOVEMBER 12 BROUGHT ONLY LIGHT RAIN, MIST, HAZE AND A SLIGHT DROP IN TEMPERATURES.

A

FROM NOVEMBER 18 ONWARDS, THERE WERE MORE FREQUENT OUTBREAKS OF THE WINTER MONSOON. A STRONG EASTERLY AIRSTREAM CAUSED THE WEATHER TO TURN CLOUDY WITH MORNING RAIN ON NOVEMBER 19.

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HOWEVER, FINE WEATHER SOON RETURNED THE NEXT DAY. IT WAS ONLY WHEN NORTHERLY WINDS STRENGTHENED EARLY ON TEMPERATURES STARTED TO FALL SIGNIFICANTLY.

NOVEMBER 21

THAT

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