FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1977
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ADJUSTMENT OF ONE SECOND IN
HONG KONG TIME
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THE USUAL SIX-PIP TIME SIGNALS FROM THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY WILL NOT BE BROADCAST AT 8 A.M. ON NEW YEAR DAY (SUNDAY) BUT WILL RESUME AT 8.15 A.M. ON THAT DAY, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY SAID TODAY.
THIS IS TO ENABLE A CORRECTION TO BE APPLIED WHICH WILL RESULT IN A DELAY OF ONE SECOND TO THE RESUMED TIME SIGNALS, HE EXPLAINED.
THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT THIS CORRECTION AROSE FROM THE FACT THAT THE TIME SCALE NOW IN USE, KNOWN AS CO-ORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME (UTC), WAS BASED ON THE ATOMIC TIME SCALE WHICH PROVIDED A MORE PRECISE AND UNIFORM SECOND THAN THAT DERIVED FROM THE RATE OF ROTATION OF THE EARTH MEASURED BY ASTRONOMICAL MEANS.
+ IT HAS BEEN INTERNATIONALLY AGREED THAT UTC WOULD NOT DIFFER FROM ASTRONOMICAL TIME BY MORE THAN NINE-TENTHS OF A SECOND,+ HE SAID.
+THIS CORRECTION OF ONE SECOND, CALLED A LEAP-SECOND, IS
THE ANALOGOUS TO THE LEAP YEAR WHICH EVERYONE IS FAMILIAR WITH. LAST CORRECTION OF ONE SECOND WAS MADE ON JANUARY 1, THIS YEAR.+
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CLOSURE OF BROADCAST DRIVE
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THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED TODAY THE SOUTHWEST BOUND SECTION OF BROADCAST DRIVE BETWEEN FESSENDEN ROAD AND MARCONI ROAD WILL CONTINUE TO BE CLOSED TO TRAFFIC FOR ANOTHER WEEK AS ROAD REPAIR WORKS IN THE AREA HAVE NOT YET BEEN COMPLETED.
THE REPAIR WORKS ARE CARRIED OUT BECAUSE OF THE SUBSIDENCE OF THE ROAD FOLLOWING A WATER MAIN BURST ON DECEMBER 23.
DURING THE CLOSURE PERIOD, FESSENDEN ROAD IS RE-ROUTED FROM ONE-WAY SOUTHEAST BOUND TO ONE-WAY NORTHWEST BOUND WHILE THE ONE-WAY NORTHEAST BOUND SECTION OF BROADCAST DRIVE BETWEEN FESSENDEN ROAD AND MARCONI ROAD IS RE-ROUTED TWO-WAY.
APPROPRIATE TRAFFIC SIGNS HAVE BEEN SET UP TO GUIDE MOTORISTS.