The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Meteorological Monitoring and Warning Center (Hong Kong) (Hong Kong Center) officially commenced preparation work today (September 14) with a view to fostering the high-quality development of meteorological services in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki; the Administrator of the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), Dr Chen Zhenlin; the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan; the Director of the Guangdong Meteorological Service, Mr Zhuang Xudong; the Director of the Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau, Mr Leong Weng-kun; and the Director of the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO), Dr Chan Pak-wai, officiated at the commissioning launch ceremony of the Hong Kong Center at the HKO this afternoon.
Officiating at the ceremony, Mr Chan said that the development of the GBA is a key national strategy that covers various key areas of positioning, such as a globally influential international innovation and technology hub and a showcase for in-depth co-operation between the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is planning to establish in Hong Kong a supersite for GBA air quality laboratory and meteorology monitoring where the Hong Kong Center is located and in proximity with the Northern Metropolis. This will help attract excellent meteorological talent to the GBA and further promote scientific research co-operation, making new contributions towards the meteorological development of the GBA.
Dr Chen said that the CMA attaches great importance to the meteorological development of the GBA. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Meteorological Monitoring and Warning Center is a key item to be jointly developed by and built in the three locations, and an important measure in implementing the national development strategy for the GBA, signifying a new stage of meteorological co-operation among the three places. The establishment of the Hong Kong Center is not only beneficial to enhancing disaster prevention and mitigation capability of Hong Kong itself, but also promotes and benefits the close collaboration and mutual development of the three places, providing strong weather service assurance to the GBA in creating an international first-class bay area and a world-class city cluster.
The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Meteorological Monitoring and Warning Center is a work item for the joint establishment by the three places under the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao GBA Meteorological Development Plan (2020-2035) (see Note) as promulgated by the CMA, which aims to enhance detailed meteorological monitoring, forecasting and warning services for the GBA through meteorological data sharing, meteorological scientific research and innovation, career development of meteorological talent, etc.
Celebrating the 140th anniversary of the HKO, Dr Chan took the opportunity to present to the officiating guests "Stories under passing storms", a collection of essays commemorating the history of the HKO spanning over a century.
The introduction video of the Hong Kong Center can be viewed at the following link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=W96zwiML7EI (Chinese only).
Note: The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Meteorological Development Plan (2020-2035) is among the first specialised development plans under the national Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Outline Development Plan.
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