**********************************************************
With the start of the rainy and tropical cyclone season, the Director of the Hong Kong Observatory, Dr Lee Boon-ying, has reminded the public to get prepared for severe weather in order to minimise possible loss of life, injury and property damage.
Every year, tropical cyclones bring high winds and torrential rain to Hong Kong. Rain and thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and squalls affect the territory from time to time and induced gusts of up to 135 kilometres per hour have occurred in Hong Kong.
Dr Lee appealed to civil engineers, architects, contractors and container terminal operators to ensure that scaffolding, neon signs, temporary structures and containers (in particular empty containers) are properly secured or attended to when a Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal or the Thunderstorm Warning is issued by the Hong Kong Observatory.
During the passage of tropical cyclones, advisory information is provided by the Observatory in its Tropical Cyclone Warning Bulletins which are broadcast by the media and available on www.weather.gov.hk/wxinfo/currwx/tc.htm . The Observatory also provides regional wind information on its website www.weather.gov.hk/wxinfo/ts/index_wind_e.htm and through the dial-a-weather service (tel: 187 8200).
When gusts greater than 70 kilometres per hour associated with thunderstorms have been recorded or are expected in any part of Hong Kong, the Observatory will provide gust information or alerts in the Thunderstorm Warning. In addition, real-time display of maximum gusts recorded at various places in Hong Kong is available on the Observatory's website www.weather.gov.hk/wxinfo/ts/index_e_gust.htm . Real-time display of weather radar images overlaid with lightning locations can be viewed on www.weather.gov.hk/wxinfo/llis/llisradar.shtml .
The public may refer to the "Guide on Safety at Work in Times of Inclement Weather" (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/os/D/InclementWeather.pdf) and the "Code of Practice in Times of Typhoons and Rainstorms" (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/wcp/Rainstorm.pdf) issued by the Labour Department and draw up appropriate contingency plans and measures to deal with heavy rain, thunderstorms, severe gusts and high winds ahead of time to minimise possible loss and damage.
Ends/Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Issued at HKT 19:00
NNNN
