XN000022-1984-09-06 — Page 11

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1964

TOLO HARBOUR SWIM

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THE 17TH CROSS-TOLO HARBOUR SWIMMING COMPETITION. WILL BE HELD AT TAI PO ON SUNDAY (SEPTEMBER 9).

COMPETITORS WILL START THE SWIM AT 10.30 AM FROM SHA LAN BEACH TO THE TA MEI TUK WATER SPORTS CENTRE,

RAIN-GAUGES SERVE MANY FUNCTIONS

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HONG KONG HAS THE DENSEST NETWORK OF RAIN-GAUGES IN THE WORLD, REFLECTING THE IMPORTANCE OF RAINFALL DATA TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND ENGINEERING DESIGN.

OF THE 178 RAIN-GAUGES INSTALLED THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY, MORE THAN 60 ARE CONCENTRATED IN THE URBAN AREAS, SAID A SENIOR SCIENTIFIC OFFICER OF THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY, MR LAM CHIU-YING.

THE NETWORK INCLUDES 53 AUTOMATIC RAIN-GAUGES, WHICH FEED DATA VIA TELEPHONE LINES TO THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY COMPUTER EVERY FIVE MINUTES. SOME OF THE INSTRUMENTS ARE MANAGED BY THE GEOTECHNICAL CONTROL OFFICE TO MONITOR STEEP SLOPES AND HILLSIDES WHERE HEAVY RAINS COULD CAUSE LANDSLIPS.

WITHIN THE NEXT 10 MONTHS, 12 AUTOMATIC RAIN-GAUGES WILL BE INSTALLED IN REMOTE PLACES AND OUTLYING ISLANDS.

+RAINFALL DATA COLLECTED THROUGH THE NETWORK HAVE VARIOUS APPLICATIONS, SAID MR LAM WHO HEADS THE OBSERVATORY'S RESEARCH AND RECORDS DIVISION.

RAINFALL MEASUREMENTS ARE USED AS THE BASIS FOR ISSUING FLOOD AND LANDSLIP WARNINGS SO THAT THE PUBLIC MAY TAKE PRECAUTIONS IN ADVANCE.

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DATA ON RAINFALL INTENSITY ARE USED BY ENGINEERS TO 'CALCULATE THE ACCUMULATION OF WATER IN DRAINAGE DESIGN.

+THE OBSERVATORY IS OFTEN APPROACHED FOR COMMENTS ON VARIOUS DEVELOPMENT OR ENGINEERING PROJECTS, INCLUDING URBAN DEVELOPMENT STUDIES IN THE NORTH-WEST BASIN OF THE NEW TERRITORIES,+ HẺ SAID.

DRAINAGE DESIGN, HE STRESSED IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT IN THIS BASIN, THE LARGEST IN HONG KONG, WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY ACCOMMODATE ABOUT 700 000 PEOPLE.

+RAINFALL DATA