China forges ahead with meteorological modernization

BEIJING, March 23 (Xinhua) -- As the 63rd World Meteorological Day is celebrated across the globe on Thursday, it serves as a reminder that there is no rain check when it comes to taking action on climate change.

China, as a responsible developing country, has been honoring its commitments to tackling climate change and boosting high-quality development through meteorological modernization.

The country has built the world's largest comprehensive meteorological observation system, according to the China Meteorological Administration (CMA).

The system consists of seven atmospheric background stations, 27 climate observation stations, nearly 70,000 automatic ground-based meteorological stations, 120 high-altitude meteorological stations, 242 new-generation weather radars and seven in-orbit Fengyun meteorological satellites.

Speaking at an event on World Meteorological Day, Chen Zhenlin, the Party secretary of the CMA, highlighted China's significant progress in meteorological technology and innovation over the years, as well as major breakthroughs in key areas.

By using smart technologies such as supercomputers, China has significantly improved the precision of meteorological monitoring and forecast systems.

The country now has the ability to provide a 42-minute advance warning to the public for severe convective weather events, an improvement from the previous 38 minutes, and a 91 percent accuracy rate for rainstorm forecasts.

China's strengthened capabilities in precision monitoring and accurate forecasting can not only serve major national strategies such as food security and rural revitalization but also contribute to high-quality economic and social development, Chen said.

He emphasized that meteorological departments play a critical role in water resources management through the use of meteorological services while continually enhancing their ability to provide services for ecological protection and restoration.

An integrated, specialized and refined meteorological service support system has been established to provide scientific support for preventing and mitigating risks to food and energy security, ecological security and water security.

China's State Council last year issued a guideline on fostering the high-quality development of meteorology, vowing to achieve meteorological modernization through the use of smart technologies by 2035.

It underscored efforts to bolster the role of meteorology in disaster prevention and mitigation and to enhance the importance of meteorology in promoting high-quality economic development.

Looking forward, China will continue to improve its global monitoring, forecasting and global service capabilities to contribute its experience and wisdom to the international community, and to jointly address the climate change challenges, Chen said.