XN000022-1984-01-23 — Page 5

MONDAY, JANUARY 23, 1984

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OCTOBER WAS EXCEPTIONALLY WARM, WITH ITS MEAN TEMPERATURE OF 26.4 DEGREES CELSIUS BEING THE HIGHEST AND ITS MEAN DAILY MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 28.9 DEGREES CELSIUS THE SECOND HIGHEST FOR OCTOBER.

THE MONTHLY MEAN CLOUDINESS OF 71 PER CENT WAS THE SECOND HIGHEST FOR OCTOBER. THE TOTAL RAINFALL OF 227.4 MM WAS NEARLY 90 PER CENT ABOVE AVERAGE.

ON OCTOBER 13, THE GALE OR STORM SIGNALS, NO. 8 NE AND NO. 8 SE, WERE DISPLAYED DURING THE APPROACH OF TYPHOON JOE. FIFTY-EIGHT PEOPLE WERE INJURED, BUT NO MAJOR DAMAGE WAS REPORTED.

ON OCTOBER 23, STRONG WIND SIGNAL NO. 3 WAS HOISTED FOR SEVERE TROPICAL STORM LEX.

THE FOLLOWING MONTH WITH ONLY A TRACE OF RAIN WAS THE DRIEST NOVEMBER ON RECORD. ITS MEAN RELATIVE HUMIDITY OF 59 PER CENT AND MEAN CLOUDINESS OF 25 PER CENT WERE BOTH THE SECOND LOWEST FOR NOVEMBER.

THE DRY SPELL PERSISTED UNTIL RAIN FELL ON DECEMBER 28 AND 29. AN INTENSE SURGE OF THE WINTER MONSOON ARRIVED FROM THE NORTH ON DECEMBER 29, RESULTING IN VERY COLD WEATHER ON DECEMBER 30.

A MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 6.1 DEGREES CELSIUS WAS RECORDED AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY WHILE HOAR FROST WAS REPORTED AT TAI MO SHAN AND TATE'S CAIRN WHERE TEMPERATURES DROPPED TO -3.6 DEGREES CELSIUS AND -0.1 DEGREE CELSIUS RESPECTIVELY.

OFFICER PRAISED FOR COST-SAVING WORK

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A SENIOR MANAGEMENT SERVICES OFFICER WITH THE NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES DEPARTMENT WAS TODAY (MONDAY) COMMENDED FOR BRINGING ABOUT ECONOMIES AND COST EFFECTIVE IMPROVEMENTS RESULTING IN AN ANNUAL SAVING OF SOME $30 MILLION IN RECURRENT COSTS TO THE NTSD'S CLEANSING SERVICES.

RECEIVING A COMMENDATION FROM THE DIRECTOR, NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES, MR JOHN HEYWOOD, AT A BRIEF CEREMONY AT THE NTSD HEADQUARTERS WAS MR TONY CROSS, WHO IS ABOUT TO LEAVE THE DEPARTMENT TO TAKE UP A SIMILAR ASSIGNMENT IN THE URBAN AREA FOR THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

THE CLEANSING REVIEW TEAM HEADED BY MR CROSS ALSO BROUGHT ABOUT CAPITAL EXPENDITURE SAVINGS OF SOME $13 MILLION.

MR HEYWOOD SAID THE NTSD HAS GREATLY BENEFITED FROM THE LONG, HARD AND INDEPENDENTLY MINDED STUDY OF ITS ORGANISATION AND THE OBJECTIVE STUDY OF SOME OF THE LONG-STANDING, TRADITIONAL WAYS IT WENT ABOUT ITS WORK+.

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