World Meteorological Day: China's meteorological innovation and global collaboration

As the world marks World Meteorological Day on March 23, China's meteorological sector has stepped into a new era empowered by cutting-edge technology, demonstrating remarkable progress in monitoring, forecasting and global cooperation.

Under the theme "Observing today, protecting tomorrow," China has established a modern, innovation-driven meteorological system marked by strong advances in scientific self-reliance.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), China had built the world's largest, most comprehensive and most integrated meteorological observation system. It had achieved high-level independence in key technologies such as the Fengyun satellites, BeiDou satellite-based sounding systems and weather radar, while achieving full self-control over its numerical forecasting models.

Advanced technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), big data and quantum technology has been deeply integrated into meteorology. A series of AI-based forecasting models, known as "Fenglei," "Fengqing," "Fengshun" and "Fengyu," had reached internationally advanced standards, with a number of innovative technological achievements emerged in areas such as oceanic meteorological navigation and global carbon source-sink monitoring.

China has established 39 key open laboratories, 44 field experiment bases and six new-type research institutions, marking a leap from following to leading in meteorological science and technology, said Chen Zhenlin, head of the China Meteorological Administration (CMA).

Meteorological modernization has advanced rapidly. Zheng Yongguang, chief scientist of the CMA's Key Innovation Team for Severe Convective Weather, said that China integrated meteorological observation system covering land, sea, air and space – comprising 10 Fengyun satellites, 842 weather radars and more than 100,000 ground observation stations, has raised the monitoring rate of severe weather to 83%.

"These data serve as the best evidence of the significant progress China's meteorological work had achieved during the 14th Five-Year Plan period," Zheng said.

In 2026, China will pilot a new imminent warning system, apply AI to refine typhoon and heavy rainfall forecasts, develop new prediction products for extreme weather, said Chen, noting that efforts will also focus on accelerating the development of a new meteorological service system for agriculture and conducting a comprehensive survey and zoning of agricultural climate resources.

China is also expanding global data sharing, with its meteorological data services benefiting 153 countries and regions worldwide.

Since last September, when the CMA released the CMA Global Climate Datasets – the first international sharing of China's climate data products – these datasets have drawn about 4.16 million overseas visits and have been applied in climate research, agricultural adaptation, disaster warning systems, AI model training and energy forecasting.

Through multiple international systems and platforms, including the Global Telecommunication System, the World Meteorological Organization Information System 2.0 and the CMACast system, China provides high-quality meteorological data services countries and regions worldwide, providing strong support for international scientific research and disaster prevention practices.

The CMA has long been active in international meteorological governance and cooperation, continuously deepening its partnerships with major meteorological agencies and promoting the exchange of data, technology and experience. In the future, the CMA will continue to expand systematic and large-scale data sharing, transforming China's observational, forecasting and Fengyun satellite data into reliable international public goods, contributing to international efforts to combat climate change, strengthen disaster resilience and promote sustainable development.