SEE visits Hong Kong Observatory (with photos)

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The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, today (January 5) visited the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) to know more about the department's work on providing meteorological and related services and its latest developments. ​The Permanent Secretary for Environment and Ecology (Environment), Miss Janice Tse; the Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Miss Diane Wong; and the Acting Commissioner for Climate Change, Mr Wong Chuen-fai, also joined the visit.

Mr Tse had a meeting with the Director of the HKO, Dr Cheng Cho-ming, and the directorate staff at the Conference Hall, G/F, Centenary Building, HKO Headquarters. After receiving a briefing on the operations and recent developments of the department, Mr Tse proceeded to inspect some of the essential facilities at the HKO Headquarters.

Accompanied by Dr Cheng, Mr Tse first visited the Central Forecasting Office and knew about the HKO's round-the-clock weather forecasting and warning services provided to the public, fishermen, the shipping community and the aviation sector, as well as other special users, through monitoring and analysing real-time local and overseas meteorological information.

They then toured the Observatory's TV Studio to gain a better understanding of the production of TV weather programmes conducted in-house and the procedures of weather briefing under inclement weather conditions. They then arrived at the Earthquake Monitoring cum Tsunami Warning Centre which collects and analyses real-time data from seismological stations network from local and across the globe, as well as warning messages issued by regional tsunami warning centres for dissemination of earthquake information and tsunami warnings to the public.

Mr Tse said that the work of the HKO is noticeably professional. The provision of scientific input on climate change and its impact is substantial in support of the work of the relevant bureaux and departments as well as the regional and international meteorological co-operation. The HKO's website, social media pages and educational activities have all along been very popular. Mr Tse was pleased to learn that the HKO will make ongoing efforts to raise public awareness of climate change and its impact through outreach and educational activities with a view to enhancing the community's preparedness and resilience against climate change.

Ends/Thursday, January 5, 2023
Issued at HKT 18:30
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