Royal Observatory Hong Kong
| 香港天文台 | |
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| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 2 March 1883 |
| Headquarters | 134A Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong |
| Employees | 290 (March 2010) |
| Annual budget | 220.7m HKD (2011-12) |
| Agency executive |
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| Website |
www.hko.gov.hk (in Chinese) (in English) www.weather.gov.hk (in Chinese) (in English) |
The Hong Kong Observatory (Chinese: 香港天文台) is a weather forecast agency of the government of Hong Kong. The Observatory forecasts the weather and issues warnings on weather-related hazards. It also monitors and makes assessments on radiation levels in Hong Kong and provides other meteorological and geophysical services to meet the needs of the public and the shipping, aviation, industrial and engineering sectors.
The Observatory was established in 1883 as the Hong Kong Observatory by Sir George Bowen, the 9th Governor of Hong Kong, with Dr William Doberck as its first director. Early operations included meteorological and magnetic observations, a time service based on astronomical observations and a tropical cyclone warning service. The Observatory was renamed the Royal Observatory, Hong Kong (Chinese: 皇家香港天文台) after obtaining a Royal Charter in 1912. The Observatory reverted to its original name in 1997 after the transfer of Hong Kong's sovereignty from the UK to China.
The Hong Kong Observatory was built in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon in 1883. Observatory Road in Tsim Sha Tsui is so named based on this landmark. However, due to rapid urbanisation, it is now surrounded by skyscrapers. As a result of high greenhouse gas emissions, the reflection of sunlight from buildings and the surfaces of roads, as well as the reduced vegetation, it suffers from a heat island effect. This was demonstrated by the considerable increase in average temperatures recorded by the Observatory between 1980 and 2005. In 2002, the Observatory opened a resource centre on the 23rd Floor of the nearby Miramar Tower, where the public can buy Hong Kong Observatory publications and access other meteorological information.
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