Royal - HKU Libraries - The University of Hong Kong

More documents

Recommendations

Info

that the instruments were 'practical and reasonable in price,but a shortage of supplies for manufacture . .. will preventtheir extensive use until the termination of hostilities.'In 1950, four routine ascents were made daily at 5 am, 11am, 5 pm and 11 pm, as recommended by the WorldMeteorological Organisation. Balloons were not releasedwhen the base of the cloud layer was lower than 600 metresabove mean sea level.The balloon was inflated with hydrogen, and rose about500 feet a minute. A theodolite on the Observatory roof wasused to track the balloon. At night, a light was attached tomake tracking easier. Winds at 1 000 feet intervals weremeasured over two minutes (one minute before and oneminute after the balloon attained a particular height). Themethod was restricted by human visual range, and theballoon's rate of ascent was an estimate that could causecalculation errors.A daily meteorological flight from Kai Tak was institutedin January 1949. The observations of dry and wet bulbtemperatures made on these flights were the Observatory'sfirst attempt to measure upper air temperature and humidity.The flights — first by the Far East Flying Training Schooland later by the Hong Kong Flying Club - continued untilNovember 1949, when they were replaced with radiosondeascents.Radiosonde ascents:Radiosonde ground equipment to determine upper airpressure, temperature and humidity was installed in 1949.Obstructions around the launching site caused difficultiesin releasing the balloons, particularly when it was windy.In 1951, the new site was established at King's Park, about1 kilometre north of the Observatory.The first radiosonde ascent was launched in November1949. Combined radiosonde and radar wind ascents weremade routinely once a day from December 1949, usingArmy-operated radar equipment. In 1955, the Observatory119
acquired its own radar, which was used until 1962 when awind-finding radar was installed.Beginning in July 1957, the International GeophysicalYear, combined radiosonde and radar wind ascents weremade twice a day, and two radar wind ascents were alsomade. In the combined ascent, a hydrogen-filled balloonlifted a radiosonde, radar reflector and parachute at some360 metres a minute. Instrument readings were sent to theground station, and the reflector was tracked by radar. Theparachute prevented the equipment from crashing to earthwhen the balloon - having risen through progressivelylower air pressure, and thus expanded - eventually burst,sometimes as high as 30 kilometres.The Cora system:A new automatic sounding system, known as Cora, wasinstalled in January 1981. This measures upper air pressure,temperature and humidity, and sends the data back to aminicomputer for analysis. The system applies a newconcept which uses the world-wide Omega navigationalnetwork. This has eight stations with very low frequencytransmitters in different parts of the world; Japan, Norway,Liberia, Hawaii, North Dakota, La Reunion (IndianOcean), Argentina and Australia.A minicomputer receives and stores the information,processes it and prepares coded messages for dissemination.Surface meteorological measurements:Surface meteorological measurements are those madenear the earth's surface with the eye and instruments such asbarometer, thermometer and rain gauge.Surface observations of pressure, temperature, humidity,cloud, wind speed and direction, and sea surface temperatureare used in day-to-day weather analysis and forecasting. Withother readings such as sunshine duration, solar radiation, grassminimum and soil temperature, and evaporation, they arealso useful in several other fields, including climatology,hydrology, agriculture and civil engineering.120
Page 2:
UNIVERSITY OFHQ,NG KONG>**"/////»I
Page 5:
The Royal Observatory, Hong KongJIM
Page 8 and 9:
The effect of climate on human cond
Page 11 and 12:
IntroductionIifc on earth is possib
Page 13 and 14:
Theories had been developed: as ear
Page 15 and 16:
Then came another important scienti
Page 17 and 18:
thirty feet high, huge grotesque lo
Page 20 and 21:
Ancient Chinese astronomical instru
Page 22 and 23:
Chapter 1KSJSJOJ/ do think that, of
Page 24 and 25:
work of the observatory made no pro
Page 26 and 27:
its physical observations of the ph
Page 28 and 29:
period. The main building was recta
Page 30 and 31:
on metal pipe frames, were too ligh
Page 32 and 33:
Blackhead's Hill (Signal Hill) and
Page 34 and 35:
many previous storms when the wind
Page 36 and 37:
coast ports and the police in fact
Page 39 and 40:
European assistants, at least one o
Page 41 and 42:
... Mr. da Silva has resigned. . .
Page 43 and 44:
few minutes' warning of one of the
Page 45:
water height by up to several metre
Page 50 and 51:
I he early European traders, mercha
Page 52 and 53:
the sun's rays in tropical climates
Page 54 and 55:
coast; trees are broken or rooted u
Page 56 and 57:
Professor S. Wells Williams, anothe
Page 58 and 59:
We had a striking example in Hong K
Page 60 and 61:
Hong Kong lies just within the trop
Page 62 and 63:
Chapter 3OFCOTWETSEverybody talks a
Page 64 and 65:
The sun's disc had a diameter on th
Page 66 and 67:
Such detailed rules failed to impre
Page 68 and 69:
the periods before winter droughts
Page 70 and 71:
crossed into Hong Kong, followed by
Page 72 and 73:
inlet of Tola Harbour in the New Te
Page 74 and 75:
The war in Europe had spurred the d
Page 76:
Inset: The backs of these cigarette
Page 79 and 80:
It 8 am on 8 December 1941, 12 Japa
Page 81 and 82:
The records are all in pencil, neat
Page 83 and 84:
The civil staff was soon put to the
Page 85 and 86: The department is in fact primarily
Page 87 and 88: temperature down to 3J°C at the Ob
Page 89 and 90: moving directly towards Hong Kong,
Page 91 and 92: If the weather in 1965 was comparat
Page 93 and 94: since Typhoon Shirley in 1968. It h
Page 95 and 96: Radar observations early on 26 July
Page 97 and 98: almost as accurately as from a reco
Page 99 and 100: Waves smash over the praya at Kenne
Page 101 and 102: Chapter 5CLICKINGCCFTHEAt the prese
Page 103 and 104: November and December are normally
Page 105 and 106: move them a substantial distance in
Page 107 and 108: .. . wind blowing through the long
Page 109 and 110: for a series of fine weather and ca
Page 111 and 112: The typhoon of Saturday September 2
Page 113 and 114: Above: How the 1874 typhoon destroy
Page 115 and 116: Above: Aftermath of the 1923 blow w
Page 117 and 118: its of storm water which could be s
Page 119 and 120: he splitting of time into microscop
Page 121 and 122: The Third Congress of the World Met
Page 123 and 124: small craft. It includes 24-hour ar
Page 125 and 126: much of the Observatory's work invo
Page 127 and 128: The marine meteorology section of t
Page 129 and 130: The water shortage having become ve
Page 131 and 132: The signal was received by a helica
Page 133 and 134: The shock occurring yesterday after
Page 135: The Royal Observatory is part of tw
Page 139 and 140: grass. Soil temperatures are read f
Page 141 and 142: * Vertical section through the atmo
Page 143: of Mineral Resources recommended a
Page 148: Much of Hong Kong's population live
Page 153 and 154: BibliographyABEL, Clarke, Narrative
Page 155 and 156: IndexAbel, Clarkevisit to Hong Kong
Page 157 and 158: Macdonnell, Governor Sir Richard, 2
show all

Royal - HKU Libraries - The University of Hong Kong

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?