639271-1896-Meteorological-Observations- — Page 4

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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 19тu JUNE, 1896

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On the 16th the centre was at noon situated in 15° 45', 117° 00′. The disturbance land tnversed a distance of about 140 miles and had completely recurved during the past 24 hours its direction now heing towards NE. Pressure had continued to give way in China and Japan and a sharp fall had taken place at Bolinao. We have Tokio 29.86, Nagasaki 29.79. Shanghai 29.90, Hongkong 29.78 and Bolinao 29.54. At the latter station strong SE breezes increasing to a gale prevailed with rain squalls. At sea the sailing vessels Bittern, Kristina Nielsen and Harland continued to experience feree WNW to NW gales until the evening when the wind began to decrease. They were all to the SW by W of the centre, being distant 150, 200 and 250 miles respectively. On Fourd the Kristian Nilsen the barometer read 29.58 at noon and it was now rising. The Machem had 29.65 NW 8 to the W of the centre at a distance of 270 miles, the Rosetta 29.58, N 8. orq, at a distance of 220 miles to the WNW of the centre. This vessel was proceeding northward. the wind was decreasing and the barometer rising. The S.S. Yuensang, steering southward and distant 350 miles to the X by E of the centre at noon, had 29.68 NE 6 od with high sea and S swell. The barometer was

The barometer was falling with increasing wind. The 5.8. Sungking having left Manila for Hongkong on the evening of the 15th countered an increasing gale from SE with rapidly falling barometer on the morning of the 16th. At noon on this day they had 29.45, S/E 9. org. The vessel was then about 140 miles E by S of the centre. At 7.10 a. the vessel's head had been turned to S. Strong breezes to fresh NNW gales blew in the W quadrant at 400 miles distance from the centre. The Memnon, 350 miles S of the centre, had 29.70, SW 3 or.

On the 17th the centre was at noon situated in 17. 119o. It had moved about 140 railes towards NE by E since the previous day. Pressure had contined to give way over China and Japan and the extreme North.

A depression of considerable depth was lying near Wladivostock where the barometer read 29.35. Tokio bail 29.76, Nagasaki 29.79, Shanghai 29.79. Hongkong 29.68. Manila 29.65 and Bolinao 29.33. At Bolinao the wind increased to typhoon force from SE on the morning of this day, the lowest barometer reading 29.24 occurring at 7 a. Typhoon face was experienced until after 4 p., the direction gradually veering to WSW 10 at 6 p., the barometer having then risen to 29.55. The S.S. Yuensang was to the N of the centre. She was steering southward but as the barometer fell quickly with the wind NE 8 the vessel was steered to the N at 5.20 a. The lowest barometer reading, 29.24, occurred between 6 a. and 9 a. At noon they had 29.25. NE 10, org, to the NW by N of the centre distant 70 miles. As the barometer (29.29) was rising at 2 p. they headed the vessel to the South again with the wind backing to N and NW. In this instance, as the observations made on board indicated that the disturbance was moving towards some point of East, the weather would almost certainly have improved sooner had the vessel been steered to SW rather than S. They c tinued to experience a strong NW gale during the evening with quickly rising barometer. Mostly moderate NW breezes prevailed off the Anman coast. The Muchow 270 miles W by S of the centre had 29.70, WNW 7, moderating. Fresh to strong NW breezes prevailed 300 miles to the SW of the centre and the Sunykiang had 29.55, SW 8, or, at 150 miles distance to the South of the centre.

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If we compare the weather experienced on board the Yuensang with that experienced at Bolinao we see that the strongest winds and steepest gradients were found to the S. of the centre, this being the right-hand semicircle as the disturbance was moving to the NE. The barometer was almost as low in Hongkong as at Manila, the former station being distant about 450 miles to the NW of the centre at noon, while the latter station was distant to the NE about 180 miles only.

On the 18th the centre was probably situated in about 205, 123° at noon. It had continued to move towards NE but with greatly increased speed, the average for the 24 hours being at the rate of 14 miles per hour. The barometer had risen in Japan, fallen about the Formosa Chamuel was almost steady at Hongkong and had risen much at Bolinao. We have Tokio 29 86, Nagasaki 29.85, Shanghai 29.81, Amoy 29.63. Hongkong 29.67 and Bolinao 29.73. Fresh NNE breezes with rain blew at Tamsui (N. Formosa); and at Auping (S. Formosa) from observations made and kindly furnished by Mr. A. W. BAIN, we know that strong NE winds amounting to a gale at times, blew on the morning of the 18th the barometer having fallen during the past two or three days. The barometer rose and the wind subsided however during the evening. Af Helioso molerate W breezes blew on this day. The disturbance was encountered to the East of the Dashee Channel by the S.S. Malacca. This vessel was on a voyage from Nagasaki to Manila. On the evening of the 17th and morning of the 18th they had the Barometer falling rapidly with molerate or fresh winds from S.E. They had a high southerly swell and the appearance of the weather was threatening. At 8 a. they stood to the Eastward the barometer reading 29.37 with SSE 4 or. Later they stored N; the weather continued very squally with continuous rain. The following observations were male: noon 21° 25', 123° 40′, 29.20 SE/S4 rq: 1 p. 29.28 E/N 3 rq. 2 p. 20.28 N 3 rq: 5 p. 229 27 N/W 4 or; 4 p. 29.25 NNW 5 e, weather clearing somewhat, decreasing sea; 5 p. 29.27 NW/N 5 c: 6 p. 29.28 NW 6, wind increasing; 8 p. 29.34 NW/W 8 o, proceedcil on course WSW, full speed; 10 p. 29.44 NW 8; midt. 29.49 NW/W 8 oq; 19th 2 a. 29.52 W 9 oy: 8 a. 29.59, W/S 7, o; noon 20° 35′ 122° 04′, 29.67 W/N 7 decreasing, fine. These observations show that the vessel passed round the northern and western edge of the central area of a typhoon on the afternoon of the 18th and that this central area was at the time a large one in which only moderate breezes blew. The following remark appears in the ship's log:- On determining the position of the ship at noon on the 20th the ship was found to have been set to the northward 25 miles although during the last 16 hours of NW and W wind her leeway had been 11⁄2 knots per hour,”