Teaching tools: Hong Kong Observatory Director Lam Chiu-ying says an information kit on climate change will be produced for schools.

Hong Kong Observatory will erect at least one automatic weather station to measure the temperature in each of Hong Kong's 18 districts.

Director Lam Chiu-ying said today the first batch of additional stations will be set up in Kowloon City, Eastern, and Central & Western Districts. Weather stations for districts not yet covered will follow.

To strengthen the Observatory's capability to predict tsunamis, a broadband seismograph will be acquired. Data received by the seismograph, together with those from around the world, will be used to determine the movement of the Earth's tectonic plates during an earthquake.

"Such information will in turn be used together with the results of our computer simulations to estimate the height and arrival time of any tsunami generated," Mr Lam said.

Education kit

The Observatory will strengthen the information content of subjects on its website, and produce an education kit for schools.

Mr Lam said the Observatory will step up preparations for the 2008 Olympics, including work related to the monitoring of heat stress of horses, providing weather services, running a nowcasting system to support the Beijing Meteorological Bureau, and provide weather support for the Hong Kong windsurfing team competing in Qingdao.

On the revised definitions of and the operational criteria for issuing the Number 3 and Number 8 Tropical Cyclone Warning Signals, he said the Observatory will review the matter after this year's typhoon season.

"We shall have another look at the matter, taking into account the experience gained and further feedback from the public."

El Nino dissipates

Mr Lam said the El Nino event which started in the eastern Pacific in mid-2006 reached its peak last December and dissipated rapidly in February.

"On this premise, our projections for 2007 are that annual rainfall will be near normal, and that the number of tropical cyclones affecting Hong Kong will most probably be five to six."