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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) and the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) have noted that sand and dust has been reported by weather stations in the East China Sea this afternoon, believed to be associated with the sand and dust weather in northern China a couple of days ago. Taiwan has experienced a rise in particulate levels this afternoon, with visibility falling below 5km over the Taiwan Strait at one point. As Hong Kong is forecast to be affected by the northeast monsoon, there is a possibility that the particulate levels in Hong Kong could also increase for some hours overnight or tomorrow, a spokesman for the EPD said today (December 3).
The sand and dust concentrations reported in Taiwan this afternoon are lower than that of the sand and dust incident that happened in March this year. It is expected that the general Air Pollution Index (API) may approach or be slightly higher than 100 tomorrow if the dusty plume reaches Hong Kong, the spokesman added.
The spokesman said that when the API lies between 101 and 200,
* persons with existing heart or respiratory illnesses are advised to reduce physical exertion and outdoor activities. They are also advised to seek advice from a medical doctor before participating in sport activities and take more breaks during the activities;
* children and the elderly are also advised to reduce physical exertion and outdoor activities;
* employers are advised to assess the risk of outdoor work involving heavy manual work, and take appropriate preventive measures to protect the health of their employees, for example, reducing physical exertion with the use of mechanical aids and scheduling suitable rest breaks; and
* outdoor workers with existing heart or respiratory illnesses are advised to seek advice from a medical doctor if they are in doubt of their health condition or suffer discomfort, and inform their employers of the medical advice for suitable work arrangements to be worked out.
The EPD and HKO are monitoring the situation closely and will continue to provide the public with the latest information.
For more information on the hourly API readings and precautionary measures, people can visit the EPD website (www.epd.gov.hk).
Ends/Friday, December 3, 2010
Issued at HKT 19:20
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