As the Beijing Olympics enters its final days, concerns over the weather for the closing ceremony are beginning to arise. On Thursday, Beijing experienced moderate rain fall, resulting in the delay of several weather-sensitive sports.

But the Beijing Municipal Meteorological Bureau is confident that they can protect the main Olympic venue known as the "Bird's Nest" from any threats from rainy weather. Weather forecasters and technicians say the weather for the closing ceremony on Sunday evening will likely be cloudy.

Weather observations are monitored every five minutes. Meanwhile, the transmission of data only takes 10 minutes... so it only takes forecasters about 15 minutes to have up-to-the minute weather conditions. Weathermen are monitoring the changing weather for every Olympic venue.

The Beijing Municipal Meteorological Bureau has invited weather experts from the US, Canada, Australia and the Hong Kong S.A.R. to join in their weather prediction efforts. They are all using their various meteorological systems to forecast the weather for the Olympic cities.

Weather forecasters continue working around the clock since they know how crucial the weather will be for the closing ceremony in the roofless "Bird's Nest".

Ahead of the Olympic Opening Ceremony, meteorologists fired rockets to disperse threatening rainy clouds coming from the southwest. In order to keep the "Bird's Nest" dry, more than one thousand rockets were launched.

(CCTV August 22, 2008)