XN000022-1984-02-13 — Page 5

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1984

ON ILLEGAL DUMPING, MR SO SAID THE VAST SIZE OF ISLANDS DISTRICT AND THE LIMITED MANPOWER THAT THE DISTRICT LANDS OFFICE

HAD IN CROWN LAND CONTROL WORK CONTRIBUTED TO THE DIFFICULTIES IN TACKLING THE PROBLEM.

IN AN ATTEMPT TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM, THE DISTRICT LANDS OFFICE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE GOVERNMENT ENGINEER/NEW TERRITORIES AND THE HIGHWAYS OFFICE ARE LOOKING FOR DUMPING SITES IN THE DISTRICT.

+APART FROM LANTAU, SUITABLE DUMPING SITES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED ON PENG CHAU AND CHEUNG CHAU, AS AN INTERIM MEASURE, THE DISTRICT LANDS OFFICE HAS WRITTEN TO ALL LOCAL CONTRACTORS IN LANTAU INFORMING THEM THAT THE MUI WO BORROW AREA CAN BE USED FOR DUMPING OF EXCAVATED MATERIAL,+ HE SAID.

JANUARY COOLER, DRIER THAN USUAL

*****

JANUARY WAS COOLER AND LESS HUMID THAN USUAL. IT WAS ALSO GENERALLY FINE AND SUNNY DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE MONTH AND CLOUDY WITH LIGHT RAIN AT TIMES DURING THE SECOND HALF, THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY REPORTS.

THE 3.5 MM OF RAIN RECORDED DURING THE MONTH WAS ONLY 13 PER CENT OF THE NORMAL AMOUNT, AND THE TOTAL RAINFALL FROM NOVEMBER 1983 TO JANUARY 1984, AT 10.9 MM, WAS THE SECOND LOWEST ON RECORD FOR THE CORRESPONDING THREE-MONTH PERIOD.

THE WEATHER WAS GENERALLY FINE FROM JANUARY 1 TO 14, THOUGH NEW YEAR'S DAY WAS COLD WITH A MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 8.3 DEGREES C.

SLIGHTLY MILDER WEATHER OCCURRED ON JANUARY 2 AND 3, BUT A SURGE OF THE WINTER MONSOON ON JANUARY 4 AGAIN BROUGHT THE OVERNIGHT MINIMUM TEMPERATURE BELOW 10 DEGREES C ON JANUARY 4 AND 5.

THE WEATHER WARMED UP STEADILY FROM JANUARY 6 WITH THE AFTERNOON MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE EXCEEDING 20 DEGREES C BETWEEN JANUARY 11 AND 13.

IT BECAME CLOUDY IN THE EVENING OF JANUARY 14, BUT THERE WERE SUNNY PERIODS THE FOLLOWING DAY WHEN TEMPERATURES IN THE AFTERNOON REACHED 22.9 DEGREES C, THE HIGHEST OF THE MONTH.

CLOUDY AND RAINY WEATHER SET IN ON JANUARY 16 FOLLOWING THE ARRIVAL OF A MINOR SURGE OF THE WINTER MONSOON FROM THE EAST. THE CLOUDY WEATHER, WITH LIGHT RAIN FROM TIME TO TIME, PERSISTED UNTIL JANUARY 26.

+

A COLD FRONT PASSED SOUTH ACROSS HONG KONG ON JANUARY BRINGING FRESH NORTHERLY WINDS. WINDS TURNED TO EASTERLY DURING THE NIGHT AND BECAME FRESH TO STRONG OFF SHORE THE FOLLOWING MORNING.

/AN INPENSE