XN000022-1981-11-14 — Page 5

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1981

PARKING FACILITIES IN KWUN TONG SET FOR BOOST

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ADDITIONAL PARKING IN KWUN TONG WILL BECOME AVAILABLE ON MONDAY (NOVEMBER 16) WITH THE OPENING OF A 24-HOUR TEMPORARY CAR PARK IN FUK TONG ROAD.

THE CAR PARK, WHICH HAS SPACES FOR 104 PRIVATE CARS AND GOODS VEHICLES UNDER 2-1/4 TONS, WILL PROVIDE A +PARK AND RIDE+ FACILITY BECAUSE IT IS LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE KWUN TONG BUS-TERMINUS AND MTR STATION.

THE HOURLY PARKING CHARGE WILL BE $2 BETWEEN 8 AM AND MIDNIGHT AND $1 AT OTHER TIMES. MONTHLY PASSES WILL COST $300.

THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT'S CHIEF TRANSPORT OFFICER, TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SECTION, MR ALAN LUI, SAID TODAY THAT THE CAR PARK WOULD PROVIDE ADDITIONAL PARKING TO MEET INCREASING DEMAND CREATED BY THE GROWTH IN COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITIES IN THE KWUN TONG DISTRICT.

+PLANS ARE ALSO IN HAND TO DEVELOP A VACANT SITE IN HOI BUN ROAD INTO A TEMPORARY LORRY PARK FOR HEAVY GOODS VEHICLES,+ HE SAID.

+ IF THE PLANS ARE APPROVED, THE LORRY PARK SHOULD BECOME AVAILABLE FOR USE IN 1982/83.+

MR LUI SAID THAT 758 ON-STREET AND 713 OFF-STREET PARKING SPACES WERE NOW AVAILABLE IN KWUN TONG.

+HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THE GROWING DEMAND FOR PARKING FACILITIES, MORE SITES HAVE BEEN RESERVED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS OF PERMANENT MULTI-STOREY CAR PARKS, HE ADDED.

RAINFALL FOR TEN MONTHS ONE-THIRD BELOW NORMAL

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RAINFALL FOR THE FIRST TEN MONTHS OF THE YEAR WAS NEARLY A THIRD BELOW NORMAL, SO THAT BY THE END OF OCTOBER AND THE BEGINNING OF THE DRY SEASON — THE RESERVOIRS WERE ONLY 48 PER CENT FULL, ACCORDING TO FIGURES RELEASED BY THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY.

OCTOBER BY ITSELF YIELDED 111.6 MM OF RAINFALL, WHICH WAS 9.6 MM BELOW NORMAL, WHILE TOTAL RAINFALL FROM JANUARY CAME TO 1 584.3 MM, OR 27 PER CENT BELOW NORMAL.

THE MONTH WAS SLIGHTLY CLOUDIER AND COOLER THAN USUAL, AND THERE WERE ABOUT 180 HOURS OF SUNSHINE, ABOUT 30 HOURS LESS THAN NORMAL.

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THE MEAN TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH WAS 24.8 DEGREES CELSIUS, AND THIS WAS ONLY 0.2 DEGREES CELSIUS BELOW NORMAL. HOWEVER, THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 14.8 DEGREES RECORDED ON OCTOBER 24 WAS THE THIRD LOWEST ON RECORD FOR OCTOBER.