XN000022-1996-05-10 — Page 15

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The weather of April

April was cooler than normal with the mean temperature of 20.4 degrees being 1.8 degrees below the normal figure. The minimum temperature of 10.9 degrees recorded on April 3 was the third lowest on record for April.

Three episodes of heavy rain contributed to most of the month's rainfall which amounted to 228.7 millimetres, 67.2 millimetres above the normal amount. On April 30 the rainstorm red warning was issued for the first time this year.

The cloudy and rainy weather at the end of March continued in April. A surge of the northeast monsoon around mid-day on April 1 brought cooler conditions to the territory.

Temperature dropped to 10.9 degrees, the lowest for the month, on the morning of April 3 and heavy rain started in the evening, lasting until the next afternoon with a total of over 60 millimetres of rainfall recorded at the Royal Observatory.

Winds strengthened from the east in the early hours on April 5. As winds moderated on the following day there were some sunny periods.

The weather became cloudy with periods of light rain on April 8 lasting until April 11 when winds strengthened again from the east. Strong easterly winds persisted up to April 13 while the weather remained generally cloudy to April 15.

There were long sunny periods on April 16 but the weather then became misty as winds became light and turned more southerly. It was cloudy and misty the next couple of days.

On April 19 an active trough of low pressure moved southwards and crossed the south China coast bringing squally thunderstorms and heavy rain to the territory.

Flooding was reported in low-lying areas. There were two traffic accidents during the rainstorm and nine people were injured. A minor landslide occurred in Repulse Bay. The transmission station of Radio Television Hong Kong was struck by lightning and broadcast was off air for 47 minutes.

The weather remained cloudy with light rain patches on April 20 and 21.

Under the influence of a drier airstream, the weather became fine and sunny on April 22. Fine weather prevailed until April 28 when a maritime airstream brought about more clouds. Temperature rose to 28.8 degrees, the highest for the month, on April 29.