HKO - Under the Same Sky 130 Years - Display Area 18
Display Area 18 : Milestones in the History of the Hong Kong Observatory
Introduction of Display Area
| Year | Milestones |
|---|---|
| 1883 | Hong Kong Observatory is established. |
| 1884 | Regular meteorological observations commence. Tropical cyclone warning system is established. Geomagnetic and astronomical observations begin. |
| 1885 | Time ball is put into operation; time service begins. |
| 1892 | Port meteorological service commences. Weather forecasts are published in newspapers. |
| 1912 | The Observatory is granted the title Royal Observatory. |
| 1921 | Pilot balloon observations begin. Seismological measurement begins. |
| 1928 | Broadcast of weather forecasts on Radio Hong Kong begins. |
| 1937 | Aviation weather services commence. |
| 1948 | Hong Kong joins the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), predecessor of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). |
| 1951 | The st automatic tide gauge is implemented. |
| 1959 | The st weather radar is installed. |
| 1961 | Measurement of atmospheric radioactivity begins. |
| 1964 | The Observatory starts receiving meteorological satellite pictures. |
| 1969 | Exchange of weather information commences through the Global Telecommunication System (GTS) of the World Meteorological Organization. |
| 1973 | The st computer system is installed. |
| 1975 | The dedicated meteorological communication line with the China Meteorological Administration is established. |
| Year | Milestones |
|---|---|
| 1980 | The Observatory starts using a caesium beam atomic clock to provide time service. |
| 1984 | The st automatic weather station is set up. |
| 1985 | The Observatory commences "Dial-a-Weather" service to provide weather information by telephone. The st automatic weather station jointly built by the Observatory and the Guangdong Meteorological Bureau commences operation at Huangmao Zhou. |
| 1987 | Scienti oers from the Observatory begin hosting TV weather programmes. The Environmental Radiation Monitoring Programme is established. |
| 1996 | The Observatory home page is launched on the Internet. |
| 1997 | The Observatory resumes its original name "Hong Kong Observatory" after the return of Hong Kong's sovereignty to China. "Hong Kong, China" remains a member of the World Meteorological Organization. |
| 1998 | The Observatory commences a brand new aviation weather service for the new airport at Chek Lap Kok. |
| 2002 | The "World Weather Information Service" website, developed and hosted by the Observatory on behalf of the World Meteorological Organization, is launched. This is the first international Internet web site of official weather forecasts for cities around the world. |
| 2005 | The world's st LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) Windshear Alerting System developed by the Observatory begins operation to provide windshear alerts. |
| 2010 | The Observatory launches the mobile application "MyObservatory", providing weather information to people on the move. |
| 2011 | The Observatory launches the "MyWorldWeather" mobile weather application on behalf of the World Meteorological Organization. It is the first mobile device application providing official weather forecasts for cities around the world. |