XN000022-1986-06-15 — Page 4

SUNDAY, JUNE 15, 1986

TO MONITOR THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE MEASURES, THE WATER IS SAMPLED AT 16 STATIONS IN KOWLOON BAY EVERY TWO MONTHS. THE SAMPLES ARE TESTED FOR BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD) SUSPENDED SOLIDS, FAECAL COLIFORM COUNTS, SULPHIDE CONTENTS, PH VALUE, DISSOLVED OXYGEN AND SAL INITY.

A CESD SPOKESMAN SAID: +ALTHOUGH THE WATER QUALITY IN THE TYPHOON SHELTER REMAINS DISAPPOINTING THERE HAS BEEN NO FURTHER DETERIORATION.

+SLIGHT IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN FOUND IN BOD. SUSPENDED SOLID SULPHIDE CONTENT AND FAECAL COLIFORM COUNT AND THERE HAS BEEN LESS FLOATING REFUSE RECORDED AND A REDUCTION IN HYDROGEN SULPHIDE GAS FORMATION IN THE CHANNEL+.

THE SPOKESMAN ADDED: *WITH THE START OF PURE OXYGEN INJECTION INTO THE POLLUTED WATER TOWARDS THE LATTER PART OF THIS YEAR, IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE DISSOLVED OXYGEN CONTENT OF THE SHELTER WATER COULD BE RAISED TO MORE THAN 10 PER CENT SATURATION. THIS WILL INHIBIT THE RELEASE OF HYDROGEN SULPHIDE GAS AND THE SMELL NUISANCE SHOULD BE SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED.+

JANUARY-MAY RAINFALL ABOVE AVERAGE

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THE TOTAL RAINFALL FROM JANUARY TO MAY THIS YEAR, AT 615 MM, WAS 10 PER CENT ABOVE NORMAL FOR THE PERIOD, THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY REPORTED TODAY (SUNDAY).

ALTHOUGH THE TOTAL RAINFALL FOR THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS WAS BELOW NORMAL, THE RAINFALL IN MAY, AT 378.7 MM, WAS MORE THAN SUFFICIENT TO MAKE UP THE DEFICIT. AN AMOUNT OF 172.5 MM, OR 45 PER CENT OF THE MONTH'S TOTAL, WAS RECORDED ON MAY 11 AND 12.

MAY 1 WAS FINE AND WARM. THE WEATHER DETERIORATED ON MAY 2 WITH PERIODS OF RAIN AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS, AS A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE PASSED SOUTH ACROSS HONG KONG OVERNIGHT.

THERE WERE SUNNY INTERVALS IN THE AFTERNOON OF MAY 3. IT REMAINED FINE AND SUNNY FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS UNTIL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS RECURRED ON MAY 6 AND EARLY ON MAY 7. THE WEATHER IMPROVED LATER ON THE SAME DAY AND REMAINED GENERALLY FINE ON MAY 8 AND 9.

CLOUDY CONDITIONS WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS OCCURRED ON MAY 10 WHEN AN ACTIVE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE TRAVELLED ACROSS INDO-CHINA TO AFFECT SOUTH CHINA.

/HEAVY DOWNPOURS