XN000022-1995-11-11+12 — Page 5

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Winds also strengthened from the east and on October 3, reached gale force strength with torrential rain amounting to 106.4 millimetres at the Royal Observatory.

With the dissipation of Sibyl on October 4, the weather turned sunny during the day and temperatures climbed to over 30 degrees again.

Convergence of airstreams over the coastal waters of Guangdong led to intense rain development near Hong Kong on October 5. The heaviest downpour occurred that night as rain clouds and thunderstorms moved across the territory.

The total rainfall recorded at the Royal Observatory on October.5 and 6 amounted to 261.2 millimetres.

Nearly 100 cases of flooding were reported. The most severe ones occurred in the northern part of the New Territories where the flood water was three metres deep.

About 200 people had to be evacuated. More than 400 hectares of agricultural land and 180 hectares of fish-ponds were flooded, causing damage amounting to $11 million. There were also 17 cases of landslips reported and two persons were injured.

Rain eased off on the afternoon of October 6 as a drier airstream arrived from

the north.

The weather turned fine the next couple of days. Winds strengthened from the east on the evening of October 9, bringing some rain patches to the territory. The weather remained cloudy with some light rain the next few days.

Meanwhile, a ridge of high pressure persisted over China maintaining fresh northeast monsoon along the coast of southeast China.

Winds became strong offshore in Hong Kong during the night of October 10 and the Strong Monsoon Signal was hoisted for the following two and a half days.

A scaffolding in Central collapsed, damaging some tramway cables on the morning of October 12. Monsoon winds moderated during the day on October 13.

The remnant of Ted over western Guangdong brought periods of rain to Hong Kong the next two days. However, a dry continental airstream cleared the clouds and there were long periods of sunshine on October 16.