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Hong Kong experienced a warmer and drier than usual October. The monthly mean temperature of 25.6 degrees was 0.4 degrees above normal. The monthly total rainfall of 51.7 millimetres was about 64% below the normal figure of 144.8 millimetres. The accumulated rainfall since the beginning of the year was 1687.3 millimetres, about 22% below the normal figure of 2151.9 millimetres for the same period.
The combined effect of the northeast monsoon and Severe Tropical Storm Lekima over the South China Sea brought strong winds and occasional squally showers to Hong Kong on the first three days of the month. Under windy conditions, a cargo ship sank near Tolo Harbour on October 2. There were also at least 17 reports of collapsed trees in the territory. As Lekima moved further west and made landfall over Vietnam, local winds moderated gradually later on October 3.
The weather turned fine on October 4 and remained that way in the ensuing three days. With plenty of sunshine, the temperature rose to 31.6 degrees on October 6, the highest in the month. Under light wind conditions, it was hazy on October 8. Visibility dropped below 3000 metres in many parts of the territory. The visibility improved when a replenishment of the northeast monsoon reached the south China coast on October 9.
Under the influence of an area of rain over the northern part of the South China Sea, the weather became mainly cloudy with a few rain patches on October 10 and the following four days. Dry and sunny weather returned on October 15 when the northeast monsoon over southern China strengthened. The weather stayed mainly fine in the next three days. A continental airstream brought very dry weather to Hong Kong during the Chung Yeung holiday on October 19. More than 100 reports of hillfires were made. Apart from some haze, generally fine weather persisted in the next 10 days.
The weather became cloudy with rain on the last two days of the month when a broad band of cloud over the South China Sea moved north to cover the coastal area.
Seven tropical cyclones occurred in the western North Pacific and the South China Sea in the month.
Details of the issuance and cancellation of various warnings/signals in the month are summarised in Table 1.1. Monthly meteorological figures and departures from normal of October are tabulated in Table 1.2.
Ends/Friday, November 2, 2007
Issued at HKT 16:11
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