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The Environment
cities worldwide in 10 languages. A mobile version of the WWIS, 'MyWorldWeather, is available on smartphone platforms.
Apart from public weather services, the observatory also issues weather forecasts and warnings about hazardous weather to the shipping, aviation, industrial and engineering sectors. The observatory provides aviation weather services for the Hong Kong International Airport and the Hong Kong Flight Information Region. In 2013, it launched a mobile application 'MyAeroMET' giving the aviation community access to the latest aviation weather and related information.
Marine Meteorology Services
The observatory provides forecasts of wind, weather, wave and swells for fishermen and mariners. Automatic weather stations were set up on board two Hong Kong Voluntary Observing Ships for the first time in 2013, providing hourly observations of air temperature, pressure and relative humidity. The observatory also issues warnings or information bulletins about storm surges caused by tropical cyclones and tsunamis caused by earthquakes. In 2013, it coordinated the government's participation in the Pacific-wide tsunami exercise, organised by the UNESCO's Inter-governmental Oceanographic Commission. The observatory publishes annually the Hong Kong Tide Table, and advises government departments and the engineering community on physical oceanographic matters.
Climate Services and Climate Change Studies
The observatory provides a wide range of climatological information and climate prediction services, including updates of phenomena such as El Niño, annual outlook on rainfall and tropical cyclones, and predictions of seasonal temperature and rainfall. It conducts research on past trends and future projections of temperature, rainfall, sea level and extreme conditions in Hong Kong, based on the latest assessment of global warming, including the Fifth Assessment Report released by Working Group I of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in September.
Radiation Measurement and Assessment
The observatory operates a network of 12 radiation monitoring stations to monitor the ambient radiation level in Hong Kong and to measure the amount of radioactivity in environmental samples. In the unlikely event of a nuclear accident, the observatory would step up its radiation monitoring to detect the presence of artificial radionuclides in the environment. With other relevant departments, it would also assess the radiological consequences and provide advice to decision-makers on the actions to take. Relevant information on radiation and the latest developments would be provided to the public through various channels. Enhancements of radiation monitoring and assessment capabilities as well as further collaboration with Chinese and international counterparts are on-going.
Geophysical Services
The observatory monitors earthquakes in the vicinity of Hong Kong and around the world. It provides information on these occurrences through its website, the mass media and other social media platforms, as well as through SMS and emails for special users. A trial operation to relay messages on global earthquakes of magnitude 5.0 or above on Twitter was launched in
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