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World Meteorological Organization-Official City Weather Forecasts |
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 Climatological Information Services in Hong KongIntroduction : Apart from providing data support to the weather forecasting and tropical cyclone warning services of the department, the Observatory's climatological information services is also operated to meet the needs of shipping, aviation, engineering, other industries, judicial proceedings, recreational activities and the general public. The information provided includes observational data collected at the surface and in the upper air. Daily, monthly and annual summaries of weather observations are published regularly. Technical publications on the climatology of selected meteorological parameters are also available. Enquiries on simple climatological matters can be made through the telephone during office hours. For enquiries requiring the issue of an official documentor special analyses of data, charges are made. Climatological Publications : Most of the climatological information required for various studies are found in publications produced by the Observatory. A list giving details of more than 200 publications is available on request. Some climatological publications which are produced regularly are : - (i) Monthly Weather Summary - General climatological information for Hong Kong as well as the actual daily local weather conditions are described in this monthly publication. It may be obtained by annual subscription but single issues are also available. This Weather Summary contains tables on the monthly means and extreme values of meteorological parameters in Hong Kong. The tables are adequate for most general-purpose planning requiring an input of climatology. Each issue includes a description of the month's weather together with a set of simplified daily weather maps. Provisional reports on tropical cyclones which necessitate the issuance of Tropical Cyclone Warning Signals in Hong Kong during the month are included. When appropriate, the times of issuing and canceling the Strong Monsoon and/or Tropical Cyclone Warning Signals are listed. Dates with warnings in effect on rainstorm, thunderstorm, flooding and landslip are mentioned. Other warnings, such as Fire Danger Warnings and Frost Warnings are also included. A monthly rainfall chart for Hong Kong is presented and whenever appropriate, maps showing the rainfall distribution over Hong Kong on some heavy rain occasions are also provided. The Monthly Extract of Meteorological Observations for Hong Kong included in the publication is particularly useful for those who require information on the actual daily weather conditions. For instance, building contractors may find it handy to work out the number of working days available in a particular month ; other weather sensitive industries may easily relate their business to the data provided. (ii) Meteorological Results - Detailed climatological information is contained in annual volumes of Meteorological Results that comprise of three parts. These publications are available for sale. The first part of Meteorological Results contains extensive tabulations of surface observations made at local weather stations, mostly on an hourly basis. This annual volume dates back to 1884 apart from a brief interruption during the war years (1940-1946). The publication was re-titled in 1987as "Surface Observations in Hong Kong". As the amount of data kept mounting up, it was no longer practicable to include all hourly observations in annual volumes. This publication was therefore replaced in 1993 by "Summary of Meteorological Observations in Hong Kong" that contains condensed information of surface and upper-air data recorded in Hong Kong. The second part of Meteorological Results contains upper-air data obtained by raw insonde/radiosonde ascents. Annual volumes giving details of every ascent are available for the period 1947-1980. From 1981 onwards, only summaries of the data are presented in a new series of annual publication "Summary of Radiosonde-radiowind Ascents". This series ceased in 1993 when summaries of upper-air data were included in "Summary of Meteorological Observations in Hong Kong". Detailed upper-air data from 1956 onwards are stored on magnetic tapes and they can be made available on request. The third part of Meteorological Results is concerned with tropical cyclones that formed over the western North Pacific and the South China Sea. The first issue started with the tropical cyclones in the year 1968.This annual series provides a description of the life history of each tropical cyclone affecting Hong Kong. Information contained in this publication includes the sequence of Tropical Cyclone Warning Signals displayed and data of maximum winds, rainfall and tide recorded at various stations in Hong Kong. Statistics on tropical cyclones that have affected Hong Kong over the past years are also given. The publication was re-titled as "Tropical Cyclones" in 1987. Official Documents : Official documents prepared in response to written enquiries are provided at cost according to the amount of work involved. According to Section 23 of the Evidence Ordinance, Cap. 8 of the Laws of Hong Kong, certified copies of climatological records kept at the Observatory shall be admitted in evidence in criminal or civil proceedings before any court on its production without further proof. Supply of Weather Charts : Copies of weather charts and other meteorological records are available on request. Charges are made according to rates determined from time to time. Telephone Enquiries : Enquiries on simple climatological information can be made through the telephone during office hours. However, callers should be aware that it is not always possible to answer an enquiry over the telephone unless the information is readily available. When enquiries cannot be handled through the telephone, the enquirer may have to come to the Climatology Section located at the Observatory Headquarters for the required information. The climatological information compiled by the Climatology Section over the past years are usually adequate for answering most of the enquiries. Special Climatological Information : In those cases when special climatological information required by a client is not readily available, staff of the Climatology Section will discuss with the client to ascertain his needs and propose how the existing data may be analysed in order to generate the necessary information. When the client agrees, the analysis will be carried out at cost, making use of the data and the computing facilities at the Observatory. International Co-operation : The Observatory participates in the international exchange of climatological information. Monthly mean values of surface and upper-air data are exchanged with overseas meteorological services and institutes either directly by correspondence or through the Global Telecommunication System of the World Meteorological Organisation. Internet : General climatological information can be browsed or
downloaded at the Hong Kong Observatory home page.
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