The Director of the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO), Mr Shun Chi-ming, and the Head of Public Policy for Hong Kong and Taiwan of Facebook, Mr George Chen, today (November 29) officiated at the launch ceremony of the "1-Minute Weather" Time-lapse Video Competition organised by the HKO and supported by Facebook.
 
     Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Shun said social media has been developing rapidly in recent years and many people visit social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram every day. To enhance communication with the public, the HKO launched its Facebook page and Instagram platform in March this year to share posts on weather information and meteorological education, as well as photos and videos on special weather and optical phenomena. Through organising the competition, the HKO hopes to encourage the public in taking time-lapse weather videos and sharing the videos with family and friends, so as to enhance public understanding of weather and climate change.
 
     Mr Chen said Facebook has been dedicated to connecting the community closely and is glad to see that many government departments in Hong Kong are in close contact with the public through the Facebook platform. Among them, the Facebook page and Instagram platform of the HKO gained high popularity in just a few months since the official launch early this year. The "1-Minute Weather" Time-lapse Video Competition not only provides an opportunity for the public to share interesting weather videos through the Instagram platform of Facebook, but is also entertaining and educational.

     The "1-Minute Weather" Time-lapse Video Competition is divided into two groups: the Open Group and the Full-time Student Group. Participants can upload a time-lapse video about weather or optical phenomena to their Instagram accounts from today until January 31, 2019, with the hashtag "#1minuteweather". All entries of the competition will be adjudicated by a panel of judges, and Facebook's creative team will also participate in the selection process. Winners of the competition will receive souvenirs from the HKO and Facebook, and have the opportunity to participate in training courses on social media organised by Facebook. Winning entries will be uploaded to the HKO's Instagram platform and Facebook page, and showcased at the 2019 HKO Open Day. Details are available at the following website: www.facebook.com/notes/1946550105435619.

Ends/Thursday, November 29, 2018
Issued at HKT 18:12

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