Sessional_Paper_1899 — Page 284

HONGKONG.

281

No. 14

99

REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE OBSERVATORY FOR 1898.

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor.

"1

HONGKONG OBSERVATORY,

6th March, 1899.

SIR,-I have the honour to submit my annual report for 1898 to His Excellency the Governor. My fourteenth volume of "Observations and Researches was published last autumn, and the fifteenth volume is now being printed. It contains synopses of fifteen years' ineteorological and magnetic observations.

2. The typhoons in 1898 were above the average both with regard to number and intensity. The telegrams issued from here attained that year a maximum of efficiency. All necessary notices, and only necessary notices, were issued, so that the shipping was not needlessly disturbed. They were subsequently compared with entries in logbooks, and confirmed by such entries. In all 275 typhoons have now been investigated at this Observatory.

3. The comparison of weather-forecasts, issued daily about 11 a.in., with the weather sub- sequently experienced has been conducted on the same system as heretofore (Comp. Annual Report for 1896 § 5). We have:

Success 66 %. partial success 28 %, partial failure 6 %, total failure 0 %.

Following the method used in meteorological offices and taking the sum of total and partial· success as a measure of success, and the sum of total and partial failure as a measure of failure, we find finally that :—

94% of the weather forecasts were successful.

4. The China Const Meteorological Register was printed every morning at the Observatory, and information regarding storms was telegraphed and exhibited on notice boards as often and as fully as such information could be justified by the weather telegrams received. This happened on 96 days in 1898. The Red Drum was hoisted 6 times, the Black Drum 1 time, the Red South Cone 2 times, the Black South Cone 5 times, the Red North Cone 0 times, the Black North Cone 0 times, the Red Ball 0 times, the Black Ball 5 times. The Gun was fired 3 times. Printed bulletins were circulated

on 4 occasions.

5. Telegraphic connection with Victoria was interrupted on the 1st January, 1898, from 7.5 a. tó 2.20 p.; on the 15th February from 10.8 a. to 10.24 a; on the 12th March from 11.15 a. to 12.15 p.; on the 18th March from 10.7 a. to 10.20 a.; on the 28th March from 11.35 a. to 11.57 a.; on the 1st April from 12.37 p. to 1.48 p.; on the 2nd April from 12.30 p. to 2 p.; on the 29th April from 11.45 a. to Noon; on the 5th July from 11.20 a. to 6.45 p.; from 2 p. on the 23rd to 10.10 a. on the 24th July; on the 3rd October from 10.54 a. to 11.45 a. Interruptions occurred therefore on 12 days, and of course, also during thunderstorms. Telephone connection with the Peak was interrupted on the 6th February, 1898, from 2 p. to 8 p.; on the 28th April from 2 p. to 5 p., ¿.e. on 2 days as well as during thunderstorms.

6. During 1898 in addition to meteorological registers kept at 40 stations on shore, 3000 ship- logs have been copied on board or forwarded by the captains. The total number of vessels, whose log books have been made use of was 350. The total number of days' observations (counting separately those made on board different ships on the same day) was 24928.