Tangshan, Hebei thrives on its coastal advantages, with Caofeidian, Fengnan and other coastal districts serving as key hubs for port logistics and marine fisheries—whose development relies heavily on precise meteorological support.

In recent years, Tangshan Municipal Meteorological Department (hereinafter referred to as the Department)  has established a three-tier service system: municipal coordination, port-dedicated support, and regional specialization, leveraging technology and collaboration to build a strong weather defense for coastal growth.

As a core transportation hub, Caofeidian Port enjoys tailored meteorological services aligned with port operations. Caofeidian District Meteorological Office has focused on technical R&D, building a wind-wave forecast model using the random forest algorithm and developing wave-height forecasting products to fill local gaps in hydrological element prediction. Its hourly visibility parameterization provides traffic control risk forecasts, offering science-based guidance for port scheduling.

Meteorological staff were learning about meteorological service demands.

Service channels are highly efficient: Caogang Weather WeChat official account, dedicated WeChat groups, a “Meteorology Plus” system, plus SMS and phone alerts ensure instant warning delivery. The meteorological department has co-founded a maritime safety alliance and led the formulation of two municipal local standards to regulate weather services. For extreme weather, a “one enterprise, one strategy” approach is adopted. A new wind lidar installed in 2025 has effectively mitigated sudden disaster risks.

Large Buoy Monitoring

Tangshan Caofeidian Industrial Port Co., Ltd., the first port operator in the area, focuses on imported ore handling and transshipment, achieving a record high throughput in 2025. The company strictly follows weather controls: operations halt immediately when wind speeds exceed Beaufort Force 7.

With meteorological forecasts, it receives gale warnings up to 3 days in advance, supporting safe production. In May 2024, the company responded promptly to a thunderstorm gale using accurate early warnings and successfully avoided disasters.

Bohai Bay maximum wave height forecast map output by the random forest algorithm

Tangshan Municipal Meteorological Observatory and Municipal Meteorological Service Centre, under municipal coordination, target key port challenges. To solve steel coil frosting in winter, they have conducted frosting observation experiments and plan to develop a machine-learning forecast algorithm. They provide 12-hourly forecasts for 3 days along Tangshan Port and hourly forecasts for key sites for 7 days, supporting operational assessments for offshore wind farms. Critical weather triggers immediate “call and respond” services to ensure port stability.

Fengnan District Meteorological Office prioritizes fisheries and public welfare, strengthening grassroots protection. It has built 26 ground weather stations and multiple radars, achieving full coverage at a 7-kilometer spatial resolution with improved monitoring accuracy. Forecasts and early warnings are regularly disseminated to authorities and large-scale breeding households via multiple channels. Popular science teams conduct coastal outreach to enhance public disaster prevention capabilities.

Going forward, Tangshan meteorological departments will deepen coordination, optimize products, and upgrade equipment to inject stronger weather-driven impetus into Tangshan’s high-quality coastal development.

In collaboration with Tangshan Municipal Meteorological Department

Special thanks to DING Xiaoli, HOU Tao, FU Xiaoming, and WANG Wenyu

Planner/Editor: LIU Shuqiao