ENG-1967 — Page 311

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GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE

the water shortages. In 1963, for instance, the total rainfall was only 35.48 inches, compared with the yearly average of 85 inches.

Hong Kong lies in the frost-free double-cropping rice zone of East Asia. Market garden cropping, including the cultivation of cut-flowers for the urban and suburban markets, is becoming increasingly important. Vegetables are grown throughout the year, but most particularly during the cooler months which form the main vegetable season. During the last 10 years there has been a significant change in farming. The area of land under two-crop rice has decreased by about 60 per cent while intensive market gardening has increased approximately three-and-a-half times. The upland areas, which are predominantly grass covered and in several places severely eroded, tend to have highly leached acid soils. Land utilization of these areas is principally through afforestation, vigorously pursued since 1945.

CLIMATE

Although Hong Kong lies within the tropics it enjoys a variety of weather from season to season unusual for tropical countries. The winter monsoon blows from the north or north-east and normally begins during September. It prevails from October until mid-March, but can persist until May. Early winter is the most pleasant time of the year when the weather is generally dry and sunny. After the New Year there is often more cloud and, though rainfall remains slight, it can be fairly persistent. Coastal fog and drizzle occur from time to time in early spring during breaks in the monsoon-when warm south-easterly winds may temporarily displace the cool north- easterlies.

The summer monsoon blows from the south or south-west and, although it can occur from mid-April until September, it is not as persistent as the north-east monsoon of winter. Summer is the rainy season and is almost continuously hot and humid. The annual rainfall measured at the Royal Observatory has varied between 901.1 mm (35.48 inches) in 1963 and 3040.7 mm (119.71 inches) in 1889, but the mean value is 2168.8 mm (85.39 inches). On average, the six dry months from October to March yield only about one seventh of the year's total rainfall. There is a marked diurnal variation of rainfall in summer with a maximum in the morning and