ENG-1953 — Page 248

GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE

Typhoons are liable to affect Hong Kong from July to October, though they have occasionally been experienced as early as June and as late as November. Spells of bad weather, with strong winds and heavy rain, normally occur several times in each summer owing to the passage of typhoons or tropical storms at varying distances from the Colony. It is only rarely that the centre of a fully-developed typhoon passes sufficiently close to Hong Kong to produce winds of hurricane force; the last disaster of this kind occurred on 2nd September, 1937, when the wind speed reached 145 knots in a gust, and 28 steamships were stranded in and around the harbour.

Weather

The year 1953 was rather cloudier and wetter than usual, although the average temperature for the year was approxi- mately normal. March, usually a dry month, was unusually rainy, with nearly double the normal amount of rainfall. Frequent low cloud and poor visibility during April caused a certain amount of interference with air traffic. Rainfall was again above the average in May and June, but July was excep- tionally sunny and dry. The fine weather was favourable for the first rice harvest, but delayed the replenishment of the reservoirs, and anxiety was felt over the possibility of a water shortage during the coming dry season. Fortunately, the deficit was made up during a very wet September, and the total rain- fall for the year was some 10% above normal.

As is usual during the summer and autumn there were several spells of strong winds and bad weather owing to the passage of typhoons or tropical storms at varying distances from the Colony. The strong wind signal was hoisted on five occasions during the period June to November, and local typhoon warnings were issued three times in August and Sep- tember. On only one of these occasions were sustained gales

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