No excuse for erroneous forecast
- Source: Global Times
- [22:23 June 10 2009]
- Comments
In a recent teleconference held by the China Meteorological Administration, a message was released that related officials in the agency would be held accountable for severe weather forecast errors.
The message coincided with storms and downpours that swept several provinces in east and central China last week, killing dozens of people and bringing enormous property loss.
Accurate weather forecasting is crucial to reduce human suffering and property loss in disastrous weather.
This is why taxpayer money is spent to set up meteorological centers around the country.
In the past, some local meteorological departments excused themselves when their forecasts were in error, claiming that forecasting the weather can’t be 100 percent accurate. Thus they seemed to disclaim the charge they had failed the public.
Now is the appropriate time for meteorological agencies to impose a greater sense of responsibility on themselves.
From the snowstorm disaster that froze South China early last year to the minutely accurate forecast during the Beijing Olympics, to the latest storm and hailstone disaster – those are all examples where the public has called for a better weather forecast service.
A responsibility system for forecasting the weather, which is nothing new in other countries, should be established. Meteorological departments in Japan have apologized to the public for wrongly forecasting cherry blossom time as well as an earthquake in the south. The apology didn’t undermine the credibility of Japanese meteorologists, who have earned public trust through extremely accurate reports.
Living on publicly provided funds, meteorological departments have a duty to provide quality service, on which the people’s travel schedules and lives depend. It is natural that they should take responsibility for failing to perform their task.
The China Meteorological Administration’s latest decision is an overdue gesture. It is hoped the move can correct the careless attitude of some local meteorological departments, and more importantly, to establish an early warning mechanism for weather disasters.
The Beijing News
The article was translated by Chen Chenchen, Li Yanjie and Liu Dong