How will China's meteorological services benefit economy, people's livelihoods?

Meteorological bureau staff members monitor weather conditions in Jixi, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Nov. 21, 2021. [Xinhua/Zhang Tao]

BEIJING -- China's meteorological work will become more digitalized and blend better with the economy and people's daily lives, according to the country's recently released five-year plan on meteorological services in 2021-2025.

The plan, jointly issued by the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) and the National Development and Reform Commission, came after China completed its meteorological objectives for the 2016-2020 period.

During the period, China's overall meteorological capabilities neared the world's most advanced level, with remarkable achievements made in public meteorological services and disaster prevention and mitigation, as well as in international cooperation, according to CMA official Cao Weiping.

In the new plan, which highlights quality development with better integration and a smart transformation, China says that meteorological services can be more than weather reports.

-- What can we expect from the plan?

Meteorological work is more than just forecasting the weather and preparing for disaster prevention and mitigation. There are many industries closely associated with meteorological services.

Meteorological services will be further integrated with economic and social development in key areas such as finance and insurance, energy safety, aviation and carbon reduction.

For instance, meteorological services will be available for catastrophe insurance, and products related to weather and climate will be created for investment and financing.

In supporting China's carbon reduction efforts, high-precision climate assessments will be made to facilitate the complementary development of wind and solar energy resources.

-- What are the goals laid out in the plan?

The plan notes that by 2025, China will have achieved independent control of core meteorological technologies, and built an improved modern meteorological system to enhance its monitoring and forecasting capabilities.

Specific targets are set out in the plan, with the forecasting accuracy of 24-hour sunny and rainy weather rising from 85.9 percent to 90 percent, and forecasts for rainstorms and typhoons becoming more precise.

For severe convective weather, a warning signal will be provided 45 minutes in advance -- sooner than the 38 minutes it took in the past.

-- What will be done then?

The development of meteorological big data is a critical part of the plan, as this data serves as a booster for economic activities, according to the CMA.

The plan aims to promote the use of big data and artificial intelligence in meteorological services, with measures including the improvement of related digital infrastructure and enhanced integration with new-generation information technologies.

It is also important to facilitate the circulation of meteorological data while protecting data property rights, the plan noted.

Other measures include better developing the numerical weather prediction method, encouraging sci-tech innovation and training talent.

China will step up its opening-up and cooperation, and strengthen supervision and inspection to ensure the implementation of the plan.