670645-1885-Weather-Report-September-1884- — Page 1

SUPPLEMENT

To the HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE of 27th June, 1885.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.-No. 265.

The following report from the Government Astronomer, for the month of September, 1884, is published for general information.

By Command,

Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 27th June, 1885.

HONGKONG OBSERVATORY.

Weather Report for September, 1884.

FREDERICK STEWART,

Acting Colonial Secretary:

In the China Coast Meteorological Register, based on information transmitted by the Great Northern and the Eastern Extension Telegraph Companies-which I have published daily, is given a summary of the atmospheric circumstances in Manila and along the Coast of China between Haiphong and Shanghai. It also contains information concerning the weather in Nagasaki and Wladivostock and the first appearance and progress of Typhoons.

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On the 29th and 30th August a depression travelling towards E passed across Northern China between Shanghai and Chefoo with a NË gale at Shantung Promontory on the latter day. It was perhaps the existence of that depression, that caused the next Typhoon to pass straight northwards, while yet SE of Formosa. On the 30th August I wrote in the China Coast Meteorological Register: the winds are light at present, but it is probable, that another depression is being formed far in the East." It would appear that Typhoon XI was at the time situated in 16° N, 1281 E or thereabout. It was moving northwards. The barometer had fallen nearly a tenth of an inch at S Cape and also in Manila. In the former place it was calm. In the latter there blew a light WNW breeze. on the 31st it appears to have been in about 19° N, 127° E.

At 10 a. southern coast of China, but no strong winds were recorded. Gentle SW breezes blew in the Formosa The barometer was now falling along the Straits. At 10 a. on the 1st it was probably in 23° N, 1263o E. I notified at the time, that it appeared to have moved northwards. The S.S. Thibet at noon on the 1st in 26° 55′ N, 122° 51′ E, experienced a strong N by E breeze, a falling barometer, frequent squalls of wind and rain, and later in the afternoon a high E swell. Early the following morning the wind veered and increased to a fresh gale with furious squalls and a very high sea at 6 a. At noon in 28° 49′ N, 124° 33′ E, a storın blew from NNW but veered quickly through W to SW. In the evening the barometer rose quickly with a whole gale from SW, the squalls were less violent and the sea less high.

In Shanghai and elsewhere the wind was moderate, but it rained in the evening of the 2nd. At the North Saddle Lighthouse it blew a strong NE breeze on the 1st which increased to a moderate NNE gale with mist in the early morning hours of the 2nd. In the afternoon it blew a strong NE gale with wet weather. On the morning of the 3rd the gale backed to W and moderated. In the evening it blew a light SW breeze.

H.M.S. Flying Fish off the SW coast of Corea encountered very heavy squalls with rain on the morning of the 3rd and a fresh NW gale in the afternoon.

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At 10 a. on the 2nd the center of the Typhoon must have been about 27° 12′ N, 125° 54′ E, and at 10 a. on the 3rd in 32° 34′ N, 125° 38′ E. The Typhoon appears to have then rather suddenly turned towards NE and after skirting the southern coast of Corea to have entered and traversed the Sea of Japan. At 6 a. on the 4th Mr. KNIPPING wrote on the weather map issued from the Imperial Meteorological Observatory, Tokio: 'a depression is moving E in the Southern sea of Japan with the lowest barometer 29.80 at Sakai, etc.,' at 2 p: 'the center of the depression lies off Sado, the barometer falling in the whole E, rising in Western Nippon, etc.,' at 9 p.: the center has moved NE and is slightly deeper, Akita reporting the lowest reading 29.65 etc.,' at 6 a. on the 5th: 'the center has made slow progress, it is near Aomori deeper (29.49) and will probably cross to the E etc.,' at 2 p: 'the center is passing slowly to the E coast (Aomori 29.49) etc.,' at 9 p: 'the depression in N Eastern Nippon has almost disappeared and pressure has risen generally etc.,' From the Tridaily Weathermaps it appears that the center was in 37° 15′ N, 133° 12′ E at 6 a. on the 4th, in 38° 40′ N, 137° 0′ E at 2 p., in 39° 30′ N, 139° 6′ E at 9 p., in 41° 0′ N, 142° 0′ E at 6 a. on the 5th. It then proceeded eastwards.

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Meantime light winds and fine weather reigned over southern China and neighbouring seas, Manila as far as can be judged from the 10 a. and 4 p. telegraphic reports the barometer reached a maximum as early as the 3rd. Fine weather with gentle or moderate WSW breezes prevailed till the 7th, at 4 p. on which day the barometer stood at 29.67, In Hongkong the barometer reached its maximum in the afternoon on the 4th. Light winds with fine but close, oppressive and increasingly hot weather continued afterwards. On the 5th there was a fall of a few hundredths of an inch in the