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The Hong Kong Observatory rolled out its nine-day weather forecast service today (April 1). The period of weather forecast was extended from seven days to nine days that could span across two weekends. This enables the public to appreciate weather changes earlier so as to plan their activities ahead and get well prepared. The new nine-day weather forecast webpage displays changes in temperature and humidity in chart form for easy viewing. It also incorporates related climatological information for comparison.
The enhancement in the weather forecast capability of the Observatory and the extension of the period of the weather forecast owe much to the advancement and improved reliability of the technology in numerical weather prediction models. Objective verification shows that the average accuracy of the newly added weather forecast for the eighth and ninth days is about 80 per cent, which is comparable to that of the sixth and seventh days' forecast several years ago. Currently, the average accuracy of the weather forecast for the first to third days is about 90 per cent, while that of the fourth to seventh days' forecast is about 85 per cent.
Hong Kong's first mountaineering expert to conquer the Seven Summits, Mr Chung Kin-man, welcomed the new service. He said, "The extended forecast allows those who engage in outdoor activities such as local and foreign mountaineering athletes to plan their routes ahead and better equip themselves for different weather conditions, so that their activities can be carried out smoothly and safely."
The nine-day weather forecast includes forecasts of weather conditions, wind direction, wind speed, temperature and humidity. It will be issued daily at 11.30am and 4.30pm. It is available via the Observatory's webpage (www.weather.gov.hk/wxinfo/currwx/fnd.htm), the Dial-a-Weather system (1878 200-312), television broadcasts and newspapers. The mobile application "MyObservatory" will also be enhanced with the service progressively.
Ends/Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Issued at HKT 15:00
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