XN000022-1985-07-12 — Page 21

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FRIDAY, JULY 12, 1985

THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTED THE EQUIPMENT FOR THE STATION WHILE THE GUANGDONG METEOROLOGICAL BUREAU PROVIDED THE SITE AND CARRIED OUT THE NECESSARY CIVIL WORKS, INCLUDING A HELICOPTER LANDING PAD.

THE AUTOMATIC WEATHER STATION AT HUANGMAO ZHOU IS EQUIPPED WITH FIVE SENSORS TO MEASURE THE WIND DIRECTION, WIND SPEED, TEMPERATURE, ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AND RAINFALL.

AIR

THE OUTPUTS FROM THE SENSORS ARE SAMPLED BY A MICROPROCESSOR WHICH PERFORMS THE NECESSARY CALCULATIONS AND TRANSMITS THE PROCESSED DATA EVERY HALF AN HOUR BY UHF RADIO TO A RECEIVING STATION AT STANLEY FROM WHICH THE DATA ARE RELAYED TO THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY HEADQUARTERS BY DEDICATED TELEPHONE LINES.

AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY HEADQUARTERS, THE DATA ARE DISPLAYED IN THE CENTRAL FORECASTING OFFICE AND ARCHIVED BY THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY'S MAIN COMPUTER SYSTEM, WHICH ALSO RE-TRANSMITS THE DATA TO THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE GUANGDONG METEOROLOGICAL BUREAU IN GUANGZHOU AND THE STATE METEOROLOGICAL ADMINISTRATION IN BEIJING VIA THE EXISTING METEOROLOGICAL TELECOMMUNICATION LINK.

THE AUTOMATIC WEATHER STATION IS POWERED BY SOLAR ENERGY AND IS THE FIRST SOLAR-POWERED STATION DESIGNED AND INSTALLED BY THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY.

THE INSTALLATION TEAM CONSISTED OF THREE OFFICERS FROM THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY AND FOUR OFFICERS FROM THE GUANGDONG METEOROLOGICAL BUREAU. THEY FLEW FROM ZHUHAI TO HUANGMAO ZHOU BY HELICOPTER ON THE MORNING OF JULY 10 AND COMPLETED THE INSTALLATION OF THE STATION ON THE FOLLOWING MORNING. A SIMPLE OPENING CEREMONY WAS PERFORMED ON THE ISLAND IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE STATION WAS PUT INTO OPERATION.

THE AUTOMATIC WEATHER STATION WILL PROVIDE USEFUL DATA TO THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY FOR MONITORING TROPICAL CYCLONES AND OTHER SEVERE WEATHER SYSTEMS APPROACHING HONG KONG FROM THE SOUTH.

RSD POLICY ON MARKET STALL RENTALS ENDORSED

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MEMBERS OF THE PROVISIONAL REGIONAL COUNCIL TODAY (FRIDAY) ENDORSED THE REGIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT'S POLICY GOVERNING RENTS FOR PUBLIC MARKET STALLS IN THE NON-URBAN AREAS.

THE COUNCIL ALSO AGREED TO DEVISE A NEW FORMULA GOVERNING THE SIZE OF RENT INCREASES SO THAT IN NORMAL CASES PUBLIC SUBSIDY IS KEPT TO A MINIMUM, BUT SPECIAL CONSIDERATION IS GIVEN IN HARDSHIP CASES.

/EXPLAINING THE