XN000022-1997-01-11+12 — Page 7

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Weather of December 1996

December 1996 was generally fine and dry. The mean temperature of 18.3 degrees was 0.7 degree higher than normal. The mean relative humidity was 64 per cent and fire danger warnings were in effect on 27 days in the month.

Only a trace of rainfall was recorded against a normal of 27.3 millimetres in the month. The accumulated rainfall of 2,249.1 millimetres since January 1 was two per cent above normal.

The first day of the month was fine and sunny. Cloud amount increased as easterly winds set in that evening. Winds were strong offshore early the next morning with some light rain patches in the evening.

A cold front crossed the south China coast on the morning of December 5, bringing drier air to the territory.

Winds strengthened from the north on December 6 and temperatures dropped to 13.5 degrees, the lowest in the month. A hill fire broke out in Shing Mun Country Park and lasted for 27 hours, scorching an area of 150 hectares.

Easterly winds returned on the afternoon of December 7 and it became cloudy.

A dry continental airstream reached the territory on December 9, clearing the clouds the next day. The weather became generally fine and sunny for the next few days. Temperatures rose to 24.8 degrees on December 17, the highest in the month. A surge of the northeast monsoon reached the south China coast that evening with winds freshening offshore. Temperatures dropped about three degrees on December 18.

It was cloudy and hazy on December 19 but it turned sunny again the next day. Fine weather prevailed until Christmas Day, with temperatures falling below 10 degrees under clear skies at night over the northern part of the New Territories.

There were some light rain patches early on December 26 but fine and sunny weather returned during the day and it remained fine until the end of the month apart from some cloudy periods on December 29.

Two tropical cyclones occurred in the western North Pacific and the South China Sea in the month.