Since the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China Meteorological Administration has considered serving the important events as an important carrier for improving the service quality, testing the scientific and technological achievements and expanding cooperation fields. The meteorological administration has continuously improved the meteorological service capability and quality in the process of offering guarantee in Beijing Olympic Games, the parade of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, World Expo Shanghai, Asian Games in Guangzhou and launch of Shenzhou spacecraft. It has been widely recognized and gained increasing attentions from the public.

Weather Service for the Beijing Olympic Games (left) and the 60th National Day Celebration in 2009 (right).

In offering weather forecasting services for important events, the meteorological administration has bettered definition of the demand-based service concept, made increasingly refined analysis to demand on important event meteorological guarantee and designed more people-oriented services. In the torch relay of Beijing Olympics Games, the Chinese meteorological professionals have precisely predicted the best mountain climbing time relying on the outstanding forecast technology. During Beijing Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, the meteorological administration has released hundreds of millions of weather forecast messages and the weather forecast website received 4.8 million clicks. The free Weather and News messages during the Olympic Games, sign language weather forecast and diversified services contributed to the 93.1 percent and 96.8 percent of the public satisfaction during the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games.

The meteorological administration has made good use of the departmental and social resources in serving important events by giving equal attention to the internal coordination and inter-department cooperation to ensure success of the important events by pooling the wisdom and efforts of everyone. During Guangzhou Asian Games, 11 experts from other provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) and Hong Kong SAR gathered in Guangzhou to offer assistance to the weather services for the Asian Games. During Shanghai World Expo, Shanghai Meteorological Service and Shanghai Emergency Management and Response Office set up the early warning information sharing system for serious weather disasters and a cooperation system with 25 departments across Shanghai. Such efforts have effectively shortened the time to take countermeasures and greatly improved the response speed and capability to disastrous weather and emergencies.

Sticking to offering demand-based services, the meteorological administration has always given first priority to forecast preciseness, and made every effort to improve the technological support capability of weather forecast. It has also promoted the independently innovated data development mode and improved pertinence and preciseness of weather forecast according to the new requirements of meteorological service. As a demonstration project of R&D of the world meteorological organization, 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Weather Forecast Demonstration and Research Project has significantly improved the forecasters’ capability in the 0-6 hour weather forecast and 6-36 hour forecast.

The meteorological administration has significantly improved the service guarantee capability in important events and could serve the city operating and social development in a better way so as to benefit more cities and citizens. Xi’an World Expo Severe Weather Early Warning System has been put into operation after being optimized. After Universiade Shenzhen, the monitoring equipment and forecast platform etc. have been kept to expand the refined weather forecast services from the venues to communities.