A series of tests have confirmed that the Olympic relay torch will be able to stay lit in freezing temperatures and strong winds when it is brought up the world's highest peak, Mount Qomolangma, an official said in Beijing on Tuesday.

"We have organized three rounds of successful tests to ensure that the torch can ascend the peak without sputtering out," Ma Lin, director of the Beijing municipal science and technology commission, said on a radio program on Tuesday.

Wind speeds atop the mountain are expected to be about 17 m per second and temperatures can often dip below -30 C, Ma said.

Lab tests on the burning of the torch, based on extreme conditions of a maximum wind speed of 30 m per second and a temperature of -45 C, turned out to be successful, he said.

Other major concerns include: whether the flame can be broadcast clearly on TV, handling possible pollution from the burning of the torch and safety issues concerning its ascend.

Scientific institutes including the China Meteorological Administration, the Commission of Science and Technology Industry for National Defense, and Tsinghua University were commissioned to help with solutions, Ma said.

"We are fully confident that the Olympic Games torch can certainly be alight on Mount Qomolangma, and everyone will be able to see a bright flame," he said.

The torch relay is scheduled to scale the peak in May, with the precise date to be decided by the weather.

Path and road surfaces have been upgraded to make it easier on the bearers of the Olympic flame, Reuters had reported.

On March 24, the Olympic Torch will be lit in Greece and begin making its way to Beijing.

(China Daily February 28, 2008)