Developed and operated by the Hong Kong Observatory for the World Meteorological Organization, the World Weather Information Service and the Severe Weather Information Center have started formal operations after a two-year trial.

Observatory Assistant Director Wong Ming-chung said organization members at a St. Petersburg meeting in February unanimously supported turning the two websites into an established operation under its Public Weather Services Program, according to a Hong Kong government report Wednesday.

The user-friendly sites have received meteorologists' compliments. They represent the joint efforts of national meteorological authorities worldwide to provide an authoritative source of official weather information for the public and media.

Secretary-General Michel Jarraud said the sites reflect the organization's long-term commitment in the provision of quality weather services to decision makers and the public, particularly on early warnings.

"The painful memory of the recent tsunami catastrophe in southern Asia reminds us of the vital importance of sharing information in order to prevent and mitigate natural disasters," he said.

"By making reliable weather observations and forecasts conveniently available on the Internet, the meteorological community serves the world better."

The information service Website contains official city forecasts and climatological information, official weather observations and convenient links to the official websites of worldwide meteorological authorities and tourism boards.

Forecasts for 1,016 cities are provided, with climatological data for 1,075 cities. The website has English, Arabic, Chinese and Portuguese versions.

The information center website provides tropical cyclone data and warnings for all ocean basins and charts showing the global distribution of severe weather information like heavy rain and snow.

When planning travel, visit these websites for weather information: Arabic version, Chinese version, English version, Portuguese version; or the Hong Kong Observatory website.

(Xinhua News Agency March 24, 2005)