TROPICAL CYCLONES IN 2006

A tropical depression formed over the northern part of the South China Sea and became the fifth tropical cyclone to necessitate the issuance of tropical cyclone warning signal in the year.

The tropical depression developed over the northern part of the South China Sea about 210 km southeast of Haikou in the night of 23 August. It moved north initially but took on a northeasterly track afterwards. The tropical depression turned northwest the following night. It made landfall near Yangjiang in western Guangdong in the early morning of 25 August and weakened into an area of low pressure.

In Hong Kong, the Standby Signal No. 1 was issued at 11.10 a.m. on 24 August when the tropical depression was 310 km to the south-southwest. The lowest hourly sea-level pressure of 1 004.1 hPa was recorded at the Hong Kong Observatory Headquarters at 5 p.m. on the same day. The tropical depression was closest to Hong Kong at around 10 p.m. that night when it was centred about 190 km to the southwest. As the tropical depression made landfall near Yangjiang and weakened into an area of low pressure in the early morning of 25 August, all tropical cyclone warning signals were cancelled at 6.20 a.m.

During its passage, the tropical depression's outer rainbands brought showers and squally thunderstorms to the territory. Also, offshore waters were affected by occasional strong winds. A woman was saved from drowning by lifeguards at Clear Water Bay, Sai Kung.

Information on wind, rainfall and tide during the passage of the tropical depression is given in Tables 3.5.1-3.5.3. Figures 3.5.1-3.5.3 show the track of the tropical depression, rainfall distribution in Hong Kong and cloud imagery respectively.

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