XN000022-1986-02-13 — Page 4

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1986

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KWUN TONG ROAD CLOSURE

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CHOI HA ROAD IN KWUN TONG WILL BE CLOSED TO TRAFFIC FROM 10 AM ON MONDAY (FEBRUARY 17) FOR ABOUT 18 MONTHS TO FACILITATE ROAD WIDENING WORK,

NO VEHICLES OTHER THAN THOSE FOR ACCESS TO MARYKNOLL TECHNICAL SECONDARY SCHOOL OR THE CAR PARK OF AMOY GARDENS WILL BE ALLOWED TO ENTER THE CLOSED SECTION.

JANUARY 1986 SECOND DRIEST SINCE 1884 ****

LAST MONTH WAS THE SECOND DRIEST JANUARY SINCE RECORDS BEGAN IN 1884 AND THE MONTHLY MEAN CLOUDINESS OF 32 PER CENT RANKED FOURTH LOWEST ON RECORD FOR JANUARY, THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY REPORTS.

OVER THE WHOLE MONTH, THE WEATHER WAS FINE, SUNNY AND VERY DRY WITH NO MEASURABLE RAINFALL AND ONLY TRACES OF RAIN RECORDED ON THREE DAYS.

BECAUSE THE EXCEPTIONALLY DRY WEATHER CONTRIBUTED TO THE HIGH RISK OF FIRE, THE FIRE DANGER WARNING WAS IN EFFECT EVERY DAY.

DURING THE MONTH 266 HILL FIRES WERE REPORTED, THE MOST

SERIOUS ONE RAGED IN SHING MUN COUNTRY PARK ON JANUARY 8, AND LASTED FOR 34 HOURS, DESTROYING MORE THAN 130 000 TREES AND 900 HECTARES OF PLANTATION LAND.

THE WEATHER WAS FINE AND SUNNY BETWEEN JANUARY 1 AND 16.

AN INTENSE WINTER MONSOON BROUGHT STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS OFFSHORE AND IN EXPOSED PLACES ON THE MORNING OF JANUARY 1.

FURTHER REPLENISHMENT OF COLD AIR REACHED HONG KONG DURING THE EVENING ON JANUARY 3 AND STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS WERE AGA IN EXPERIENCED OFFSHORE THE NEXT MORNING AND ON THE MORNING OF JANUARY 5.

DURING THE COLD SPELL FROM JANUARY 1 TO 9, TEMPERATURES FELL TO A MINIMUM OF 8.6 DEGREES CELSIUS AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY ON JANUARY 6, THE LOWEST OF THE MONTH, AND TEMPERATURES OF 0.9 DEGREE CELSIUS AND 1.5 DEGREES CELSIUS WERE RECORDED AT TA KWU LING AND TAI MO SHAN RESPECTIVELY, HOWEVER, NO REPORTS OF HOAR FROST WERE RECORDED.

A MILDER AND MORE HUMID EASTERLY AIRSTREAM BROUGHT CLOUDY WEATHER AND A TRACE OF RAIN ON JANUARY 17.

/THE WEATHER