648121-1893-Committee-on-Meteorological-Reports-and-Weather-Forecasts-Committee-on-Meteorological-Reports-and-Weather-Forecasts — Page 12

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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 7TH OCTOBER, 1893.

THIRD MEETING.

Tuesday, the 26th September, at 3 p.m.

Present:-The CHAIRMAN.

Commander MILLER, R.N.

Captain TILLETT.

Captain G. C. Anderson.

Minutes of last meeting read and confirmed.

The CHAIRMAN gave notice that he would call Mr. FIGG to give evidence on such improvements as he could suggest and submit a report himself after Captain ANDERSON had spoken.

Captain TILLETT.--We have not seen your letter to the Colonial Secretary. Please read it to us.

read.

The CHAIRMAN.-It was laid on the table at the second meeting but was not

I will read it now.

(Letter H.K.O. No. 81 read.)

Letter objected to.

Decided that an explanatory letter be circulated among the members.

Captain ANDERSON.-With reference to a forecast in the local newspaper Extra published on Wednesday, 20th September, at 1.45 P.M., was that forecast the result of telegraphic information received? If not, how was it known in the Observatory here that the centre of the storm was near the northern entrance of the Formosa Channel?

The CHAIRMAN.-On the 20th at 10.5 a.m. the following notice was issued: "Centre of typhoon now situated near northern entrance to Formosa Channel," and the red north cone was hoisted. That was the result of a telegram received from Amoy at 9.54 a.m. giving the usual 9 a.m. observations, and another received from Sharp Peak in answer to a query. If those telegrams had not been received

here we should not have known where the centre was situated.

Captain ANDERSON.-Are we correct in assuming from what Mr. FIGG told us at our last meeting that the reasons put forward for not being able to supply forecasts in time for the morning's Eatra is that you do not receive weather reports by wire in time and frequently not at all from the most important stations?

The CHAIRMAN.--Yes. That is so.

Captain ANDERSON.--Supposing proper telegraphic weather reports were furnished in time for the Observatory, would it be possible to give forecasts, say, for the regions between here and the Philippines and between here and Japan or Shanghai, not necessarily by means of isobars, but by using proper judginent and having regard to the wind force, state of barometer, thermometer, etc., at the different stations ?

The CHAIRMAN.--Yes; if the reports were sufficient in number and accuracy. Captain ANDERSON.--Supposing the Observatory here were placed in proper telegraphic communication with Bolinao and stations on the North Coast of Luzon, South Cape (Formosa), and Hoihow in Hainan, as well as the China Coast ports, would it be possible to lay down the tracks of typhoons, say, coming from the Bashee Channel, and publish at intervals the latitude and longitude of the centres and the direction in which the storm is travelling approximately?

The CHAIRMAN.-Yes; that could be done in case of typhoons coming from that direction; but very many typhoons originate in the China Sea, and then we cannot give the longitude and latitude, as long as the China Sea is not surrounded by proper telegraphic reporting stations.