The Observatory lends support to the Shanghai World EXPO

25 May 2010

Subsequent to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the Hong Kong Observatory was again invited by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to participate in another forecast demonstration project in support of important international events the "Shanghai World EXPO Nowcasting Service Demonstration Project" (WENS). To this end, the Observatory's nowcasting system "SWIRLS" was deployed to Shanghai and put into full operation since the latter part of April. Going hand-in-hand with5 other automatic forecast systems from the mainland and abroad, "SWIRLS" provides forecast services on severe weather, including rainstorm, hail, lightning and squalls, in support of the 2010 Shanghai World EXPO, the latest big hit around the world. WMO has attached much importance to this project. Ms Haleh Kootval, chief of the Public Weather Services Division of WMO, visited Shanghai to see for herself how the demonstration project had been doing.

Mr Hon-yin Yeung (rightmost in the front row), scientific officer of the Observatory, introducing the "SWIRLS" forecast products provided by the Observatory for the Shanghai World EXPO to Ms Haleh Kootval, chief of the Public Weather Services Division of WMO (middle in the front row) at the Shanghai Meteorological Bureau.