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The Environment
The Observatory issues weather forecasts and warnings, and offers professional advice to the aviation, shipping, engineering and other sectors, as well as government departments. It provides aviation weather services for the Hong Kong International Airport and the Hong Kong Flight Information Region, and issues forecasts of wind, weather, waves and swells for the marine community, container terminals, fishermen and mariners. The Observatory also disseminates warnings on storm surges caused by tropical cyclones and publishes the Hong Kong Tide Table annually.
In an ongoing collaboration with the Government Flying Service, a fixed-wing aircraft is deployed under permissible conditions to undertake reconnaissance flights into tropical cyclones to collect meteorological data for better forecast and warning capability.
Climate Services and Climate Change Related 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 weather in Hong Kong, based on the latest assessment of global warming by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In 2015, the Observatory supported the government in launching the Hong Kong Climate Change Report 2015 and provided climate services to various sectors in areas including disaster risk reduction, public health, water resources, urban planning and energy. It also took part in activities connected with the UN Climate Change Conference.
Radiation Measurement and Assessment
The Observatory operates a network of 12 radiation monitoring stations to monitor the ambient radiation levels 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 activities, work with other government departments to provide decision makers with an assessment of radiological consequences, and advise on actions to take. Relevant information on radiation levels and the latest developments would be provided to the public through various channels. The Observatory continues to enhance radiation monitoring and assessment capabilities through active collaboration with its Mainland and international counterparts. In 2015, it received ISO 9001 accreditation for its Ambient Gamma Radiation Level Measurement Service.
Geophysical Services
The Observatory monitors earthquakes and tsunamis in the vicinity of Hong Kong and around the world. It provides information on earthquakes and warnings of tsunamis through its website, the media and social media, as well as via SMS and emails for special users.
Astronomical Services
The Observatory provides information about astronomical phenomena such as solar and lunar eclipses. It also publishes astronomical almanacs, providing the traditional Chinese calendar and various types of astronomical and geophysical information. In April, the Observatory
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