GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE
THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY
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The main function of the Royal Observatory today is the provision of meteorological services. Weather forecasts and tropical cyclone warnings are prepared in the Central Forecasting Office at the Royal Observatory in Kowloon while services for aviation are provided at the Airport Meteorological Office.
Close liaison is maintained with all ships that visit Hong Kong and about 60 selected ships are provided with instruments by the Observatory to assist them to transmit regular and accurate weather reports which are of great value in the locating of tropical cyclones and the preparation of forecasts for shipping. About 75 weather reports are received each day from ships, through two radio stations. They are re-broadcast to other centres. In addition about 5,000 weather reports from land stations and ships are received each day from other countries. They are all plotted and analysed at the Royal Observatory. Special weather bulletins are broadcast for shipping and for fishermen, and all aircraft leaving Hong Kong are given briefings, written forecasts and weather charts.
One of the most important functions of the Royal Observatory is to issue warnings of Tropical Cyclones. Whenever a Tropical Depression, Tropical Storm or Typhoon is located within the region bounded by latitudes 10°-30° north and longitudes 105°-125° east, six-hourly and often three-hourly non-local warnings are issued. These provide information on the maximum winds, the position and movement of the centre and the forecast position for 24 hours ahead. Reports from ships and reconnaissance aircraft and cloud pictures received at the Royal Observatory direct from meteoro- logical satellites help to locate the storm.
When the Colony itself is threatened, the local storm warning system is brought into use and warnings are widely distributed by means of visual signals, telephone, radio and television. Statements and announcements about necessary precautions are also broadcast at frequent intervals whenever local signals are displayed.
The Observatory's weather radar station at Tate's Cairn is equipped with a three cm radar for detecting showers and local rainstorms and a 10 cm radar, for locating tropical disturbances up to 240 miles away. The latter radar can also be used to estimate