XN000022-1979-02-19 — Page 7

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1979

HK'S FISHERMEN ARE VOLUNTEER WEATHER OBSERVERS

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HONG KONG'S FISHERMEN ARE HELPING THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY TO KEEP TRACK OF THE WEATHER.

THESE VOLUNTARY WEATHERMEN HAVE MADE MORE THAN 1,000 WEATHER OBSERVATIONS SINCE THE VOLUNTARY WEATHER OBSERVATION SCHEME STARTED THREE YEARS AGO.

EXPLAINING THE SCHEME, THE SCIENTIFIC OFFICER (MARINE METEOROLOGY) OF THE OBSERVATORY, MR. CHU WING-KI SAID THAT THE ASSISTANCE OF THESE FISHERMEN WAS MOST VALUABLE.

+THEY HAVE YEARS OF HARD-EARNED EXPERIENCE TO HANDLE THE JOB WHICH INVOLVES NOTING DOWN WIND DIRECTION AND STRENGTH, THE HEIGHT OF WAVES AND GENERAL WEATHER CONDITIONS, + MR. CHU SAID.

THE INFORMATION, IN THE FORM OF A LOG, IS COLLECTED WHEN THE FISHERMEN RETURN TO PORT, VERIFIED, PUNCHED AND FED INTO THE OBSERVATORY COMPUTER.

+BY GIVING US THIS INFORMATION THE FISHERMEN ARE HELPING US TO HELP THEM AS IT ALL GOES INTO IMPROVING WEATHER SERVICES FOR FISHERMEN, THE SCIENTIFIC OFFICER SAID.

THE SYSTEM OF USING SHIPS IN WEATHER OBSERVATION HAS BEEN IN OPERATION INTERNATIONALLY FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY, WEATHER OBSERVATIONS BY SOME 50 VOLUNTARY OCEAN-GOING VESSELS ARE SENT BY RADIO TO THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY AT FIXED INTERVALS EVERY SIX HOURS DAILY.

+BUT INFORMATION ON COASTAL METEREOLOGICAL CONDITIONS IS SCARCE AND INADEQUATE AND THAT WAS WHY WE SET UP THE VOLUNTARY WEATHER OBSERVATION SCHEME AMONG OUR FISHERMEN IN 1975, MR. CHU SAID.

+THEY THEMSELVES WOULD BE PRIMARY BENEFICIARIES OF WEATHER FORECASTS AND WARNINGS IN THE COASTAL AREAS, HE SAID.

THIS EXTRA COASTAL INFORMATION, HE SAID, WOULD ALSO BENEFIT COMPANIES INVOLVED IN BUILDING PIERS OR OFFSHORE DRILLING RIGS.

EIGHTEEN BOATS FROM HONG KONG'S FISHING FLEET ARE INVOLVED IN THIS VOLUNTARY WEATHER WORK. +WE HOPE MORE WILL TAKE PART,+ MR. CHU SAID.

FISHERMEN INTERESTED SHOULD CONTACT THE LIAISON OFFICERS OF THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT WHERE THE WEATHER INFORMATION LOGS CAN BE OBTAINED,