The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Monday, February 7, 2022 is 95.3 (same as last Saturday's index).
The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Saturday, February 5, 2022 was 95.3 (up 0.1 against last Friday's index).
With the northeast monsoon over the south China coast generally weaker than normal for most of the time in the month, January 2022 was much warmer than usual in Hong Kong. The monthly mean minimum temperature and monthly mean temperature were 16.5 degrees and 18.0 degrees, which were 1.9 degrees and 1.5 degrees above their corresponding normals and respectively the fourth and fifth highest on record for January. The month was also drier than usual with a total rainfall of 4.1 millimetres, about 12 per cent of the normal of 33.2mm.
Under the influence of the northeast monsoon, the weather was mainly cloudy with sunny intervals in the afternoon on the first day of January. With clouds thinning out, local weather became generally fine on January 2 and remained so till January 8, except for a few rain patches in the morning of January 5. With plenty of sunshine, the temperature recorded at the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) rose to a maximum of 23.6 degrees in the afternoons of January 5 and 6, the highest of the month.
As a cloud band spread over southern China, local weather became cloudier on January 9 and 10. With the arrival of a replenishment of the northeast monsoon, it was cooler with a few rain patches in the morning of January 11 and the weather turned fine during the day. Affected by the cloud band over the coast of Guangdong, the weather became mainly cloudy from January 12 to 13. With the setting in of a fresh to strong easterly airstream, it was cloudy with rather low visibility in some areas on January 14 and the next morning. The easterly airstream moderated gradually from January 15 to 16 and there were sunny periods during the day.
Under the influence of the northeast monsoon and with a band of clouds covering southern China, the weather was mainly cloudy from January 17 to 18. There were a few rain patches in the morning of January 18. With the cloud band thinning out, local weather turned generally fine with cool mornings in the next two days. Under the influence of a fresh to strong easterly airstream, it was mainly cloudy with a few rain patches from January 21 to 23. Affected by the northeast monsoon, the weather remained mainly cloudy with a few rain and mist patches on January 24. With the prevalence of a fresh easterly airstream, the weather was mainly cloudy with sunny intervals and a few rain patches from January 25 to 29. It was misty on January 28. A cold front moved across the coastal areas of Guangdong in the night of January 29. Under the influence of the associated winter monsoon, the weather became cold with sunny periods on January 30. The temperature recorded at the HKO dropped to a minimum of 13.2 degrees that morning, the lowest of the month. It was cloudy and rather cool on the last day of the month.
There was no tropical cyclone over the South China Sea and the western North Pacific in January 2022.
Details of issuance and cancellation of various warnings/signals in January are summarised in Table 1. Monthly meteorological figures and departures from normal for January are tabulated in Table 2.
To promote greening, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) is holding the Best Landscape Award for Private Property Development 2022 to commend private property developments that excel in landscape design and horticultural maintenance. Nominations for the competition are open until April 14. Application is free of charge.
The award aims to bring about sustained environmental improvements in private property developments and encourage private bodies to incorporate more quality green elements into the planning and management of horticultural projects for the benefit of such developments.
The entry must be situated within Hong Kong and be managed, designed or built by a private body. The landscape greening areas of the entry must be for communal use or accessible by the public or residents. Entries may be nominated by the developer, management company, design company, owners' organisation, landscape or horticultural company of the property with prior consent from the owners' representative group of the property concerned.
The award is presented in five categories. Details are as follows:
Domestic property:
(1) Large-scale Domestic Property (with a site area of 20 000 square metres or above)
(2) Medium-scale Domestic Property (with a site area from 2 000 sq m to below 20 000 sq m)
(3) Small-scale Domestic Property (with a site area under 2 000 sq m)
Non-domestic property (such as hotels, shopping malls, commercial buildings, schools under the Direct Subsidy Scheme (private premises) and private schools):
(4) Large-scale Non-domestic Property (with a gross floor area of 40 000 sq m or above)
(5) Small and Medium-scale Non-domestic Property (with a gross floor area under 40 000 sq m)
Each category is divided into three groups according to the age of the property:
i) Properties below six years of age
ii) Properties between six and below 21 years of age
iii) Properties of 21 years of age or above
Nominations by email are accepted for the award this year. Completed nomination forms together with all necessary documents must reach the Secretariat of the Best Landscape Award for Private Property Development 2022 (address: 11/F, Leisure and Cultural Services Headquarters, 1-3 Pai Tau Street, Sha Tin; email: gcs@lcsd.gov.hk) on or before April 14 (no later than 5pm for submission in person or by email; for postal submission, the date of postmark will be taken as the date of receipt).
The prospectus and nomination form can be downloaded from the LCSD webpage at www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/green/property/index.html. For enquiries, please call 2601 8026.
The Best Landscape Award for Private Property Development 2022 is organised by the LCSD and co-organised by the Home Affairs Department, the Hong Kong Institute of Architects, the Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects, the Institute of Horticulture (Hong Kong), the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors, the Professional Green Building Council and the Hong Kong Association of Property Management Companies.
The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau (CEDB) today (February 7) said that a staff member of the CEDB has preliminarily tested positive for COVID-19.
The staff member, who works on 23rd floor of the West Wing of the Central Government Offices in Tamar, does not have contact with the public in her daily work. She last went to work on February 4. She wore surgical masks and followed relevant disease prevention measures at work. She has no recent travel history.
Thorough cleaning and disinfection operations have been conducted at the concerned workplaces. The CEDB has also followed the advice from the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health in arranging for the staff members concerned to undergo COVID-19 tests.
The CEDB will continue to strictly implement various disease prevention measures. Staff members are also reminded to pay attention to personal hygiene and stay vigilant at all times. They should seek medical advice immediately and inform the CEDB if they feel unwell.
The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau (CEDB) today (February 7) said that a staff member of the CEDB has preliminarily tested positive for COVID-19.
The staff member, who works on 23rd floor of the West Wing of the Central Government Offices in Tamar, does not have contact with the public in her daily work. She last went to work on February 4. She wore surgical masks and followed relevant disease prevention measures at work. She has no recent travel history.
Thorough cleaning and disinfection operations have been conducted at the concerned workplaces. The CEDB has also followed the advice from the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health in arranging for the staff members concerned to undergo COVID-19 tests.
The CEDB will continue to strictly implement various disease prevention measures. Staff members are also reminded to pay attention to personal hygiene and stay vigilant at all times. They should seek medical advice immediately and inform the CEDB if they feel unwell.