The Hong Kong Observatory commissioned a new weather radar at Tate's Cairn today, enabling it to update radar imagery more frequently.
At the opening ceremony, observatory Director Shun Chi-ming warned that heavy rain would occur more regularly in the 21st century as a result of global warming.
From today, the observatory will update radar imagery within its 64-kilometre range at six-minute intervals instead of the current 12 minutes – in line with the observatory’s commitment to providing timely weather information to the public.
Also officiating at the ceremony, Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Gregory So noted the observatory always pursues excellence and service improvement. The new radar, he said, would operate in tandem with another radar at Tai Mo Shan, to increase data availability and enable the observatory to obtain more comprehensive weather information.
The first of its kind in Hong Kong, the new dual polarisation S-band Doppler radar cost $19 million and replaces one that had been in use for more than two decades.
In addition to all the functionality of traditional weather radar, this new one can identify hail areas and the size of raindrops in the air, to better monitor hail and rainfall rates.
