SMG improves typhoon readiness through regional cooperation

The Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG) has been working closely with the weather bureaus of Beijing, Guangdong and Hong Kong to streamline weather forecasting and allow citizens to receive uniform information, according to information shared with the Times.
The bureau said that regional cooperation is “designed to strengthen the capacity to respond to emergencies and determine work procedures, review and improve deficiencies, and formulate improvement plans.”
Its work to improve “the weather information distribution channel” will help to avoid confusion, especially for travelers between the regions, the SMG said.
To determine typhoon Higos’ path in Macau, the SMG expanded their map to cover other potential areas that the tropical storm may appear in. The optimized map has been more accurate in reflecting the uncertainty of the trajectory predictions.
The Meteorological Monitoring Center, a department at the SMG, has been improving the efficiency of day-to-day monitoring operations, which includes the distribution of typhoon work and consultation mechanisms prior to an incoming storm.
Using this approach, the SMG has been able to give more advance notice of signal changes during these extreme weather events. By raising awareness of weather information, the weather bureau believes that citizens will be better equipped to take the appropriate measures to stay safe.
The SMG has also improved their information distribution channels such as the SMG website and the mobile app. The bureau is now employing social media channels such as WeChat and Telegram to disseminate information. “This way, the population can receive weather forecasts in time and also through several information channels.”
The SMG was criticized in 2017 for its slow response to typhoon Hato. Since then, the bureau has worked with other government entities to improve its typhoon preparedness and response ability.