Sessional_Paper_1907 — Page 628

HONGKONG.

No. 1907

14

REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE HONGKONG OBSERVATORY, FOR THE YEAR 1906.

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of

His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government.

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

Success 56 per cent., partial success 34 per cent., failure 1 per cent., partial failure 9 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 90 per cent. of the weather forecasts were successful in 1906.

2. The China Coast Meteorological Register was printed every morning at the Obser- vatory. From 1st August this work was undertaken by the Government Printers, improved machinery ordered from home being used for the purpose. The printing has therefore been much improved and the issue of the register somewhat accelerated.

3. In addition to the cable which connects the Observatory with the Cable Offices in Hong- kong, we have now another cable connecting us with the Harbour Office. Since July the observations made at Gap Rock and Victoria Peak are transmitted to the Observatory through the Harbour Office, which Department now also undertakes the distribution of meteorological information on the other side of the harbour, with the exception of the China Coast Meteorological Register, distributed by the Government Printers, and a return sent at 4 p.m. cach day to the newspapers, which is taken by one of our coolies.