Feature Story | Trials Temper Swords, Forging Glory! The Fine Weather on the 93rd Victory Day Originates Here!
PubDate：2025-09-05 ViewNum：4
The east wind sweeps mightily, its power reverberating across the globe. The tide of armored vehicles surges forward, in a spectacle of grandeur and momentum.
On September 3rd, at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, the grand gathering to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War (hereinafter referred to as the "Commemoration Gathering") was solemnly held.
The parade troops stood majestic and powerful, the advanced equipment filled people with excitement, and thunderous applause erupted from the audience seats. Not far to the east of the Tiananmen Rostrum, an emergency meteorological command vehicle parked quietly.
On September 3, the emergency command vehicle of the Beijing Meteorological Bureau carried out on-site service support work.Photo by: Chang Chen The on-site meteorological service team adjusts and tests mobile observation equipment.Photo by: Chang Chen Above the square, the subtle changes in cloud shapes and the density distribution of cloud cover are being fully recorded by the all-sky automatic imaging system. "Clear blue sky and bright sun, what fine weather!" After staying on duty all night, Chang Chen from the Beijing Meteorological Observation Center looked up at the sky, unable to hide his excitement.
At the same time, real-time monitoring data such as temperature, humidity, and wind on the square was transmitted back to the rear meteorological service support team. The forecasters, who had also stayed up all night, compared the real-time data with the forecast conclusions and broke into a relieved smile.
Shoulder Responsibilities and Go All Out
——Unite as One, Pool Strength, and Leverage the Institutional Advantage of "Concentrating Resources to Accomplish Major Tasks"
Remember History, Honor Martyrs, Cherish Peace, and Forge Ahead. The grand holding of the commemoration gathering is not only a solemn tribute to the historical monument, but also an inheritance and promotion of the great spirit of the War of Resistance, as well as a firm declaration of the determination to pursue peaceful development. Ensuring meteorological service support for the commemorative conference is an important political task assigned by the Central Committee, with a great responsibility and a glorious mission. Coinciding with the 80th anniversary of the founding of the people's meteorological cause, ensuring the smooth holding of the commemorative activities with high-level services is a vivid practice of implementing the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on meteorological work, and also a comprehensive inspection of the modernization of China's meteorological science and technology capabilities and social service modernization. Where does confidence and strength come from? It comes from high-level deployment and coordinated efforts to ensure a "unified overall plan". "With a high sense of political responsibility, we will go all out and strive for excellence to provide strong meteorological service support for the commemoration gathering!" The mobilization and deployment by Chen Zhenlin, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), has united the aspirations of meteorological workers. The Party Leadership Group of the CMA attached great importance to the work and took early action, establishing a special working group for meteorological service support of major events in February this year. As the leader of the special working group, Chen Zhenlin conducted multiple mobilization and deployment sessions, presided over consultation meetings for guidance, and pooled the efforts of the department to implement the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. Meteorological departments at all levels have united as one and pooled their efforts, leveraging the institutional advantage of "concentrating resources to accomplish major tasks" to form a strong synergy characterized by vertical coordination and efficient collaboration. National-level operational units provide professional guidance and all-round technical support. The Beijing Meteorological Bureau plays a leading role, establishing an efficient and collaborative support mechanism and delivering accurate and detailed forecasting services. Meteorological departments of surrounding provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government) including Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, and Inner Mongolia conduct collaborative and intensive observations, and carry out joint consultation with upstream and downstream regions. With the key principles defined and priorities clarified, precise actions are taken. The meteorological service support work is carried out in an orderly manner.—— In March, teams of forecasters and lightning protection experts went to the site for a survey. They carefully analyzed historical data on precipitation, temperature, and sunshine in the Tiananmen area over the past 25 years, reviewed historical high-risk weather events, gained a clear understanding of meteorological risks, and provided professional lightning protection technical guidance.
In May, the Special Working Group for Forecast and Service of the Beijing Meteorological Bureau was established. Based on the forecasters from the Beijing Meteorological Observatory, chief forecasters from the National Meteorological Center also joined the group. It brought together professional backbones from the Meteorological Service Support Center for Key Areas of the Capital, as well as meteorological departments of provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government) including Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Zhejiang, and Ningxia, forming a pattern of complementary collaboration.
In July, the meteorological service support platform for major events was connected to the General Command Center for Service Support. It enables comprehensive display of multi-source monitoring data on a single screen, one-click access to full-cycle meteorological service products, and automatic identification and early warning of weather risks, functioning as a "weather steward" that understands weather changes and provides targeted solutions. In August, during the three comprehensive drills for the Commemoration Gathering, intensive consultations continued around the clock. Forecasters repeatedly conducted deductions and analyses on the subtle changes in circulation patterns, adjusted the forecast conclusions dynamically, integrated refined services into every detail, and verified their forecasting capabilities in real-world drill scenarios. On August 9, during the first drill of the Commemoration Gathering, the Special Working Group for Forecast and Service of the Beijing Meteorological Bureau analyzed the weather at Tiananmen.Photo by: Ye Fanglu "Make scientific judgments, deliver accurate forecasts, and strengthen the confidence to win!" The meteorological service support work has received attention and support from the main leaders of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee and the Beijing Municipal Government. During each comprehensive drill, leaders of the Municipal Government stayed in the consultation room of the Meteorological Observatory and reported the weather conditions to the Command Center of the Commemoration Gathering. At 7:00 on September 3, meteorological workers submitted their final report: "Currently, a blue sky has appeared in the Tiananmen area. It is expected to be mainly sunny after 8:00. The temperature will range from 26℃ to 29℃ between 8:00 and 11:00, with strong sunlight and UV rays, resulting in intense sunshine." The blue sky and white clouds became the stunning backdrop for the Commemoration Gathering. Face Challenges Head-On and Scrutinize Every Detail——Strive for "Timely, Location-Specific, and Quantitative" Accurate Forecasts with a Commitment to "Meticulousness, Refinement, and Perfection" Behind the pursuit of excellence lies unusual pressure and challenges — this year, the rainy season in North China has been "prolonged", significantly longer than the average rainy season in previous years. In particular, since July, the position of the subtropical high ridge has been abnormally northward, leading to significantly above-average precipitation in North China. Beijing has experienced multiple heavy rainfall events during its flood season. Recently, the subtropical high has retreated slightly southward, yet weak rainfall and severe convection have occurred alternately, resulting in a severe and complex weather situation. Against this abnormal backdrop, the weather has become even more unpredictable, and the uncertainty and difficulty of forecasting have increased sharply. "For the service support of major events, even 1 millimeter of precipitation can affect the scheduling of various on-site links," said Zhang Fanghua, a delegate to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, chief forecaster of the National Meteorological Center, and head of the expert group for special events. Zhai Liang, chief forecaster of the Beijing Meteorological Observatory who was stationed at the General Command Center for Service Support to provide on-site services, also felt deeply about this. "If the precipitation exceeds 2 millimeters, the choir needs to put on raincoats, and work such as laying rain-proof carpets and drainage also needs to be prepared in advance. The time must be accurate to the minute, and the amount of precipitation must be precise to the millimeter." How to solve the difficult problem of "whether it would be sunny or rainy in the Tiananmen area on September 3"? At 6:00 on September 3, the Expert Group for Major Meteorological Support and Forecasting of the National Meteorological Center held discussions on the meteorological service support for the event.Photo by: Tao Yiwei "This is equivalent to forecasting one grid point out of 40,000 grid points in the Beijing area," introduced Zhao Wei, chief of the Special Working Group for Forecast and Service of the Beijing Meteorological Bureau, who also served as the host of the joint consultation and the gatekeeper for the final forecast conclusions. "Timely and quantitative precipitation forecasting is like 'breaking down' the 12-hour forecast used for daily daytime and nighttime predictions, then conducting further analysis and assessment to fill in the blanks divided by 'every half hour and 0.1 millimeters'."
Even if the sky is clear and rain-free, persistent intense sunshine and stuffiness pose another challenge.
"High temperature, high humidity, and strong ultraviolet rays will directly affect the experience of outdoor spectators and may cause physical discomfort to them," introduced Yu Bo, head of the Forecast and Service Working Group of the Beijing Meteorological Bureau. "In addition to forecasting conventional meteorological elements, the special meteorological service report has innovatively added a 'perceptual temperature level', serving as a 'sunshade' for taking heatstroke prevention and cooling measures in advance." Strive for the broad and detailed, and uphold the work attitude of "meticulousness, refinement, and perfection". Meteorological workers made a judgment completely consistent with the actual situation 40 hours in advance, and delivered an accurate forecast report that is timely, location-specific, and quantitative. The Sword of Science and Technology, Directed at Precision——The observation, forecasting, and service work achieve "interlocking" development through synchronized resonance, coordination, and linkage. What supports forecasters in minimizing various uncertainties and gradually converting them into definite forecast conclusions? At 21:00 on September 2, 12 hours before the start of the Commemoration Gathering, the radar chart showed that the cloud cluster over Datong, Shanxi was moving eastward rapidly. When will the cloud cluster arrive? Will it have an impact? In the consultation room of the Beijing Meteorological Observatory, forecasters gathered around to conduct a careful analysis. On the evening of September 2, at the Beijing Municipal Meteorological Bureau, meteorological forecasters from the national and provincial levels pooled their wisdom and efforts to jointly analyze the weather situation.Photo by: Zhang Aoguang "I'll take one more look at the cloud radar," said Zhang Tao, chief forecaster of the National Meteorological Center. He wanted to check the current status and evolution of the clouds to verify the reliability of the numerical forecast and whether his own subjective understanding and deduction were reasonable.
Open the Beijing Special Edition for Major Events of "Tianheng Tianyan" – the newly built integrated meteorological observation data quality control and product service system. Here, products such as radar mosaics of various scales in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and corrected radar-estimated precipitation are integrated. The Meteorological Observation Center of the China Meteorological Administration has also jointly developed, together with the Beijing Municipal Meteorological Bureau, comprehensive monitoring and analysis products with dynamic updates, covering multi-source cloud height, cloud cover, wind field, cloud temperature and humidity.
On September 2, staff from the Meteorological Observation Center of the China Meteorological Administration conducted radar inspection at the Beijing Southern Suburb Test Base.Photo by: Du Yundong
Based on the information provided by the "cloud radar", Zhang Tao's assessment of the nature, characteristics, early evolution trend of the cloud cluster and its actual impact on the weather was confirmed, which strengthened his confidence in the forecast that "the cloud cluster will not affect the Commemoration Gathering when it arrives in Beijing". Guided by the concept of "Observation as a Service", meteorological departments continue to improve monitoring efficiency, with new products and equipment providing strong support.—— The National Satellite Meteorological Center promotes the integrated development of the "FY Earth - Major Events" special edition, gives full play to the advantage of high temporal resolution of the Advanced Geostationary Radiation Imager (AGRI) on the Fengyun - 4B (FY - 4B) satellite, and conducts real - time monitoring of the occurrence and development of meso - and micro - scale convective systems. In response to key needs, it has developed AI - based satellite cloud verification products as well as cloud base height and cloud thickness products, providing real - time monitoring support for the assessment of flight conditions. On September 2, the on-duty staff of the Remote Sensing Application Service Center under the National Satellite Meteorological Center (National Space Weather Monitoring and Early Warning Center) were closely monitoring the weather conditions through the platform of "FY Earth - Major Events Edition".Photo by: Li Gen Relying on national debt projects, 80 newly added ground-based remote sensing vertical devices and 2,372 iron tower meteorological stations in the Beijing area can capture subtle atmospheric fluctuations; the newly launched "Ruisi" integrated real-time product can display wind direction and wind speed data layer by layer from 0 to 3,750 meters in height; the first-ever special observations of ultraviolet rays, total solar radiation, etc., provide a scientific basis for determining the intensity of sunny weather and whether the perceived temperature level is comfortable or stuffy. With precise forecasting as the goal, the expert team focuses on demands to carry out agile research on core technologies, and new platforms and new technologies consolidate the foundation for forecasting.—— The National Meteorological Center has built a technical collaboration system centered on digital and intelligent forecasting, supported by artificial intelligence models ("Fengqing" and "Fenglei"), assisted by digital and intelligent forecasters, focused on key point forecasting (including the national-level refined single-point forecasting STNF and the similarity-optimization-based fixed-point refined forecasting technology SOP), measured by real-time verification, and coordinated through multiple platforms (including the Major Meteorological Support Forecasting and Analysis Support System and the Meteorological Open Application Platform MOAP). This system plays an important role in forecasting key nodes and key meteorological elements.
The "Lingxi" intelligent forecaster, independently developed by the Beijing Municipal Meteorological Bureau based on artificial intelligence technology, can quickly generate forecasting decision-making suggestions; the urban microscale meteorological rapid analysis and forecasting system with a horizontal resolution of 10 meters presents the three-dimensional dynamics of key meteorological elements.
The Numerical Weather Prediction Center of the China Meteorological Administration leverages the advantages of its seamless numerical weather prediction operational system, combines it with the trial operation of the next-generation model MCV, updates the forecast results dynamically, and at the same time, relies on the large-eddy simulation model to provide three-dimensional forecasting services for temperature, humidity, and wind at the lower atmosphere with high spatial and temporal resolution, which has been improved to within 100 meters.
Centering on meteorological information – the "central nervous system" that runs through all links of the entire meteorological service chain – the National Meteorological Information Center provides technical support for video conferences, cybersecurity protection, as well as the development and service of real-time products. It also ensures the stable operation of meteorological supercomputing, the meteorological big data cloud platform "Tianqing", and the meteorological integrated service real-time monitoring system "Tianjing".
On the evening of September 2, support staff from the Advanced Computing Office of the National Meteorological Information Center inspected the meteorological supercomputing computer room and meteorological cloud computer room, checked the operation status of the supercomputing system, and made every effort to ensure the stable operation of the computing power system.Photo Provided by: National Meteorological Information Center The National Climate Center has integrated statistical features based on hourly data with model correction technology, enhancing the targeting of forecasts; it has innovatively carried out monitoring and prediction of the "Beijing rainy season" and realized refined climate services from the regional to the urban level. With the strong support provided by the achievements in meteorological modernization, the key to achieving accurate forecasting lies in giving full play to the subjective initiative of forecasters. It is necessary to rely on profound professional knowledge and rich practical experience as the foundation, keenly insight into the weather laws behind the data, capture key signs in the details, and find certainty amid uncertainties. Make the Best Use of Talents and Strengthen the Foundation to Forge the Soul——Carry forward the fine traditional work styles and inherit the experience in service support for major events "It's not easy for everyone to hold their posts; keep up your best form." In the late night of September 2, Chen Zhenlin went to the meteorological workers fighting on the frontline to cheer them on. Accurate forecasting is precisely the crystallization of collective efforts and wisdom. Forty-five experts from the national meteorological system have pooled their wisdom and efforts. Upholding the consensus of "passing on skills and bringing back experience", they conduct exchanges, learning and mutual reference. Wu Qishu, a national advanced worker and national chief forecaster of the Fujian Provincial Meteorological Observatory, is one of them. He not only brought the "Fujian OTS Algorithm" to inspire ideas for improving accurate forecasting capabilities, but also engaged in the exchanges with an open attitude to gain experience in service support for major events. "I'd like to add one more point." "We also need to pay attention to this aspect." ... Sun Jun, a chief forecaster of the National Meteorological Center who is about to retire, and other senior experts who participated in the service support for the commemorative conference a decade ago also joined the consultation. They imparted their experience without reservation, helping young forecasters gain experience and grow in practical work. The baton of the meteorological cause is firmly passed on at this moment. The cohesive force led by Party building has also been tightly consolidated in practical work. Party members of the Forecast and Service Work Team of the Beijing Municipal Meteorological Bureau have been collectively incorporated into the Party Branch of the Capital Key Area Meteorological Service Support Center. From the consultation room to the on-duty platform, the red logo of the "Party Member Pioneer Post" serves as a silent inspiration, and the role of the Party building brand "Shoushan · Wisdom to Observe Wind and Cloud, Aspiration to Guard the Loyal Heart" has been increasingly prominent... "Take on heavy responsibilities, be pioneers, take the lead, and demonstrate spirit and vitality in more than 200 consecutive days and nights of work," said Hao Liping, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the Beijing Municipal Meteorological Bureau.
On September 2, at the Beijing Municipal Meteorological Bureau, meteorological forecasters from the national and provincial levels analyzed and judged the weather conditions.Photo by: Zhang Aoguang
At 2:00 on the 3rd, the Forecast and Service Work Team of the Beijing Municipal Meteorological Bureau issued the forecast conclusion: "From 3:00 to 4:00, it will be overcast with occasional cloudy skies. It will gradually clear up after 8:00." The forecast conclusion was quickly transmitted to the site, and preparatory work such as carpet uncovering and film removal was carried out in an orderly manner.
As the first light of dawn breaks, everything is ready, and the grand ceremony is approaching. The forecasters, who have stood guard all night and made meticulous analyses and judgments, await the glorious moment quietly.
When the sun once again illuminates the Central Axis, we draw strength from the echoes of history and hone our capabilities amid the development of the times. Looking back at the 80th anniversary of the founding of the people's meteorological cause, from the first batch of meteorological forecasters in New China safeguarding the successful holding of the founding ceremony of the People's Republic of China to the minute-level and 100-meter-level refined meteorological services for the Winter Olympics, meteorological workers have delivered answers worthy of their missions in one service guarantee after another, and written a wonderful chapter in which the people's meteorological cause resonates in harmony with the national development.
Eighty years of glory resound with the powerful call of the era for self-reliance and self-improvement in meteorological science and technology, and embody the fine traditions and work styles of meteorology. The people's meteorological cause, with a high-spirited posture, is guarding the weather changes across the land and watching over the nation's peace and prosperity.
（The article is reprinted from the WeChat Official Account of China Meteorological Administration）
PubDate：2025-09-05
ViewNum：4
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