Session No. 5 File name : cedb(cit)- doc
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- Examination of Estimates of Expenditure 2010-11
Question : On “providing updates on the effects of El Nino and other longer term atmospheric phenomena on Hong Kong” under Brief Description, would the Administration please inform this Committee the forecasts of HKO on emerging El Nino and other relatively longer term atmospheric phenomena are based on what data and information from which agencies. What are the latest updates on El Nino phenomena and its effect on the local weather in medium to long term ? Please specify “other longer term atmospheric phenomena” mentioned above. Asked by : Hon. FUNG Kin-kee, Frederick Reply : The Hong Kong Observatory provides, through its website, information related to El Niño including its latest development and the projected impact on Hong Kong. In collating the information, we have taken into account the actual and forecast meteorological data (including sea surface temperature) of the Pacific Ocean provided by institutions including the following: － National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, USA; － The International Research Institute for Climate and Society, USA; － National Climate Center of the China Meteorological Administration; － The Bureau of Meteorology, Australia; and － Tokyo Climate Center of the Japan Meteorological Administration. Based on available information, it is expected that the El Niño which started in the summer of 2009 will last until this spring. According to statistical information, under the influence of El Niño, the rainfall during the winter and spring time of Hong Kong will be higher than normal. The chance of tropical cyclones affecting Hong Kong before June is also likely to be lower in comparison with normal years. Apart from El Niño, the Observatory also provides information on other long-term climate phenomena including La Niña.
Question : Regarding the weather stations the Observatory set up across the territory, could the Administration give a picture as to the non-availability of weather data owing to a breakdown at the weather stations necessitating repair or replacement of parts (the total number of hours from malfunctioning to complete return to normal)? In particular, what means are available to the Administration to prevent equipment breakdown and damage during bad weather? Asked by : Hon. FUNG Kin-kee, Frederick Reply : For the purpose of providing weather services, the Hong Kong Observatory has set up weather stations all over Hong Kong, including those under the “One District One Station” programme and others, to collect weather data. Equipment at the weather stations may break down occasionally, and repair or replacement of parts may be necessary. To minimize any interruption to data collection arising from such circumstances, the Observatory adopts the following measures : (i) some stations play a more important role in the overall meteorological measurement and analysis. For these stations, the Observatory has installed back-up equipment to ensure uninterrupted data collection; (ii) the Observatory’s maintenance teams carry out preventive checking at various stations on a regular basis to reduce the chance of equipment breakdown; and (iii) during adverse weather conditions, the maintenance teams will be on stand-by round-the-clock for any urgent repair work. They will also be stationed at certain critical stations (e.g. the Tai Mo Shan weather station) to ensure that the service would not be affected by equipment breakdown. With the above measures, the Observatory was able to maintain an overall data collection rate of nearly 100% in 2009.
Directory: citb -> doc doc -> Replies to initial written questions raised by Finance Committee Members in examining the Estimates of Expenditure 2012-13 Director of Bureau : Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Session No. 12 File name : cedb(cit)- doc Download 4.7 Mb. Share with your friends:
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