Sessional_Paper_1904 — Page 182

No. 1904

14

HONGKONG.

REPORT OF THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF THE OBSERVATORY, FOR THE YEAR 1903.

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government.

HONGKONG OBSERVATORY,

26th January, 1904.

SIR,In the absence of the Director on leave, I have the honour to submit the Annual Report of this Department to His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government. The nineteenth volume of Observations was published last summer and the twentieth volume is now being printed. It contains the usual astronomical, meteorological and magnetic observations.

2. Twenty years' meteorological observations (1884 to 1903 inclusive) have now been recorded at the Observatory and the calculation of the mean values of the meteorological elements for this period is nearly completed.

3. The comparison of weather forecasts, issued daily about 11 a.m., with the weather subsequently experienced, has been conducted on the same system as here- tofore (compare Annual Report for 1896 § 5). The results are as follows:-

Success 58 per cent., partial success 34 per cent., partial failure 7 per cent., failure 1 per cent.

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, it follows that:-92 per cent. of the weather fore- casts were successful in 1903.

4. The China Coast Meteorological Register was printed every morning at the Observatory, and information regarding storms was telegraphed to Hongkong and exhibited on notice boards as often and as fully as such information could be justi- fied by the weather telegrams received. This happened on 80 days in 1903. The Red Druin was hoisted 8 times, the Red South Cone 3 times, the Black Drum 4 times, the Black South Cone 3 times, the Black North Cone once, and the Black Ball twice. Two lanterns were hoisted once, and the Typhoon Gun fired once. Printed Bulletins for general distribution were issued on 4 occasions. About 60 copies of the China Coast Meteorological Register are delivered free daily to ship- ping firms and others.

5. During last year it was decided to arrange the Hongkong (Drum, Cone, Ball) signals so as to indicate the bearing of typhoons to 4 instead of 8 points. At the request of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce the Government also decided to adopt the Shanghai Flag system of signalling meteorological inform- ation. A mast for this purpose has been erected on Blackhead's Hill, Kowloon Point, and the changes indicated above came into force on 1st January of the current year.

6. The thanks of the Government are due to the Telegraph Companies who continue to forward the meteorological telegrams to Hongkong free of charge, and also to the staffs of the Eastern Extension and Australasian Telegraph Company at Sharp Peak, Iloilo, Bacolod and Cebu, who make and transmit observations twice daily.

7. Telegraphic connection with Victoria was interrupted as follows:-January 5th, 10.30 a. to 1.25 p.; 25th, 12.10 p. to 2.15 p.; February 28th, 7 a. to March 2nd 11.30 a.; April 7th 6.2 p. to 8th 10.45 a.; 8th 11.40 a. to 3.55 p.; 18th 2 p. to 19th 11.25 a.; 29th 10.15 a. to 30th 9.50 a.; 30th 11.55 a. to May 2nd 1 p.; 9th 12 p. to 11th 2.15 p.; 13th 10.30 a. to 16th 3 P.; 25th 4 p. to 10

p.; June 17th 9 a. to 1.50 p.; July 22nd 11.42 a. to 4 p.; August 8th 2 a. to 3.30

P.;

13th 12.5 p. to 15th 12.15 p.; October 18th 7 a. to 12.35 p.; 23rd 6 p. to 24th 9.30 a. Interruptions occurred therefore on 34 days, and also, of course, during thunder-

storms.