XN000022-1986-01-19 — Page 8

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 1986

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THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE ALSO AGREED TO WORK STARTING ON 49 PROJECTS, 13 OF WHICH WERE ON HONG KONG ISLAND, 12 IN KOWLOON AND 23 IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

THE TOTAL FLOOR AREA OF THESE 48 PROJECTS WAS 272 778.7 SQUARE METRES, OF WHICH 77 977.1 SQUARE METRES WERE FOR DOMESTIC PURPOSES AND THE REMAINDER FOR NON-DOMESTIC USE.

DURING THE MONTH, THE OFFICE ISSUED A TOTAL OF 36 OCCUPATION PERMITS IN RESPECT OF NEWLY-COMPLETED BUILDINGS, TOTALLING 139 745.9 SQUARE METRES, OF WHICH 82 686.5 SQUARE METRES WERE FOR DOMESTIC AND THE REMAINDER FOR NON-DOMESTIC PURPOSES.

THE TOTAL DECLARED COST OF NEW BUILDINGS COMPLETED DURING THE MONTH WAS ABOUT $741.5 MILLION.

UNUSUALLY LESS SUNSHINE IN 1985

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THE YEAR 1985 WAS MARKED BY UNUSUALLY LOW AMOUNT OF SUNSHINE AND THE EARLIEST HAIL OCCURRENCE.

THE

IN ITS SUMMARY OF THE YEAR'S WEATHER, THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY REPORTED THAT THERE WERE 1 711.2 HOURS OF BRIGHT SUNSHINE THIRD LOWEST VALUE SINCE RECORDS BEGAN IN 1884 WHICH IS 15 PERCENT BELOW NORMAL.

THE YEAR ALSO SAW THE EARLIEST OCCURRENCE OF HAIL IN HONG KONG ON FEBRUARY 7. IT OCCURRED AGAIN IN APRIL AND JULY,

TOTAL RAINFALL RECORDED AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY DURING THE YEAR AMOUNTED TO 2 191.4 MM, VERY CLOSE TO THE NORMAL VALUE OF 2 224.7 MM.

THE GALE OR STORM SIGNAL WAS HOISTED TWICE WITH THE APPROACH OF TYPHOON HAL IN JUNE AND TYPHOON TESS IN SEPTEMBER. BOTH CAUSED CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO HONG KONG.

FURTHERMORE HOARFROST WAS REPORTED IN THE NORTHERN PART

OF THE NEW TERRITORIES IN DECEMBER.

JANUARY WAS DRIER AND CLOUDIER THAN USUAL. THE TOTAL RAINFALL OF 13.8 MM WAS 49 PER CENT BELOW NORMAL AND THE TOTAL DURATION OF BRIGHT SUNSHINE WAS 30 PER CENT BELOW NORMAL. HOWEVER, THE AIR TEMPERATURE FOR THE MONTH WAS NEAR NORMAL AND THE DAILY MINIMUM TEMPERATURE FELL BELOW 10 DEGREES CELSIUS ONLY ONCE ON JANUARY 10 WHEN A MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 8.8 DEGREES CELSIUS WAS RECORDED.

THE WINTER MONSOON WAS LESS ACTIVE IN JANUARY AND THE STRONG MONSOON SIGNAL WAS ONLY HOISTED ON ONE OCCASION.

/ABNORMAL, CHANGEABLE