The preliminary estimate of the Macao SAR\'s foreign exchange reserves amounted to 246.8 billion patacas (30.75 billion U.S. dollars) at the end of September, according to the figures released on Friday by the Monetary Authority of Macao. The reserves for September rose by 3.3 percent over the previous month, and, when compared with a year earlier, the reserves jumped by 45.5 percent, the figures indicated. The trade-weighted effective exchange rate index for the pataca, a gauge of the domestic currency\'s exchange rates against the currencies of Macao\'s major trading partners, rose by 0.98 points month on month to 87.32 in September.