The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, visited the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) today (July 15) to learn about its latest developments. Joining him were four participants of the "Be a Government Official for a Day" programme.

     Mr Cheung first received a briefing from the Director of the HKO, Mr Shun Chi-ming, on the latest developments of the department, particularly in enhancing Hong Kong's preparedness for natural disasters and providing meteorological and related services through science, innovation and partnership.
      
     Mr Cheung then proceeded to the Central Forecasting Office for an update on HKO's round-the-clock services on weather forecast for use by the public and the shipping, aviation, industrial and engineering sectors, as well as their work on monitoring radiation levels. He was also given a tour of HKO TV studio.
      
     Mr Cheung  was pleased to learn that HKO made good use of social media, such as its Facebook page and Instagram platform, in disseminating weather information and enhancing communication with the public. HKO has all along played an active role in supporting the plan for smart city development. It has set up microclimate stations at HKO Headquarters and other locations across the territory to collect weather data in close proximity, with an aim to facilitate  big data analytics as well as study of urban microclimates and weather changes.
      
     Mr Cheung also visited the Earthquake Monitoring and Tsunami Warning Centre where he was provided with  detailed briefing on the procedures for collection and analysis of real-time seismic data from seismological stations in Hong Kong and across the globe, as well as dissemination of earthquake information to the public.
      
     He commended HKO's colleagues for their dedication in reducing the impact of inclement weather on Hong Kong's society and economy.
      
     Prior to his departure, Mr Cheung visited the History Room,  where he was presented with the achievement and transformation of HKO since it was established 136 years ago. He praised HKO for its dedication to the vision of being "A Model of Excellence in Protecting Lives and Building Together a Better Society through Science". Mr Cheung also encouraged colleagues of HKO to continue serving the public in a dedicated and professional manner. 
      
    

Ends/Monday, July 15, 2019
Issued at HKT 18:00

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