XN000022-1992-06-17 — Page 3

+

2

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 1992

"THE GREEN AND AMBER ALERTS ARE STANDBY PRIME DEPARTMENTS TO REMAIN VIGILANT AND ΤΟ PERSONNEL ARE READY IN CASE THEY WILL BE NEEDED,

NOTICES INTENDED ΤΟ MAKE SURE THAT KEY

HE SAID.

MR CHAN SAID THESE TWO ALERTS WOULD BE TRIGGERED ON THE BASIS OF FORECASTING OF HEAVY RAINSTORMS:

GREEN IS TO INDICATE THAT SIGNIFICANT RAIN IS LIKELY TO AFFECT THE TERRITORY WITHIN THE NEXT 12 HOURS WHICH MAY DEVELOP INTO AN AMBER SITUATION.

AMBER INDICATES THAT 50 MM OF THE RAIN OR MORE IS EXPECTED OVER' HONG KONG DURING THE NEXT SIX HOURS OR SO,

"AS NO IMMEDIATE ACTION WOULD BE REQUIRED FROM THE PUBLIC, THESE STANDBY ALERTS WILL ONLY BE ISSUED TO GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND KEY OUTSIDE BODIES SUCH AS PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND UTILITY COMPANIES, SO AS TO AVOID CAUSING PUBLIC DISQUIET OR DISRUPTING THE DAILY LIFE OF THE COMMUNITY UNNECESSARILY," MR CHAN SAID.

"THERE SHOULD BE ADEQUATE FOREWARNING AS WE WILL BE CONTINUOUSLY MONITORING FOR ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS,' HE SAID.

THE RED AND BLACK WARNINGS WILL REQUIRE SPECIFIC ACTION TO BE TAKEN AND WARNINGS, BASED ON ACTUAL RAINFALL RECORDED THROUGHOUT HONG KONG, WILL BE BROADCAST TO THE PUBLIC.

-

"RED" WARNING INDICATES THAT 50 MM OF RAINFALL HAS BEEN RECORDED DURING ANY ONE HOUR PERIOD OR LESS. FURTHER HEAVY RAIN COULD CAUSE WIDESPREAD ROAD FLOODING AND TRAFFIC CONGESTION. SCHOOL CHILDREN WILL BE ADVISED TO STAY AT HOME OR REMAIN IN SCHOOL UNTIL IT IS SAFE FOR THEM TO RETURN HOME.

'BLACK" WARNING THIS MEANS THAT MORE THAN 100 MM OF RAIN HAS FALLEN GENERALLY OVER HONG KONG DURING THE PAST TWO HOURS OR LESS BECAUSE OF SERIOUSLY FLOODED ROADS AND INCLEMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS, RESIDENTS WILL BE ADVISED TO STAY AT HOME OR TAKE SHELTER IN A SAFE PLACE UNTIL THE RAINSTORM HAS PASSED AND TRAFFIC CONDITIONS HAVE IMPROVED.

"THERE IS AS YET NO ABSOLUTELY RELIABLE METHOD ANYWHERE ΤΟ ACCURATELY FORECAST THE LEVEL OF RAINFALL, BUT WE CONSIDER THAT BASING THE WARNING SYSTEM ON 50 MM PROVIDES A REASONABLE TRIGGER POINT FOR PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES TO BE PUT INTO EFFECT, MR CHAN SAID.

H

"TO RULE OUT CASES OF VERY HEAVY BUT LOCALISED AND SHORT-LIVED THUNDER SHOWERS, WE WILL BE BASING OUR CALCULATIONS ON RAINFALL AVERAGED OVER 10 SELECTED URBAN TELEMETERING GAUGES, MR CHAN ADDED.

MR PETERSEN SAID ONCE THE "RED" WARNING GOVERNMENT'S CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR NATURAL DISASTERS ACTIVATED AND RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS MOBILISED.

H

WAS ISSUED THE WOULD BE FULLY

/THE ROYAL

+