By Li Hongmei, People’s Daily
In recent years, China’s meteorological authorities have actively forged a distinctive blueprint in weather crisis management through decades of operational refinement. What began as localized disaster preparedness efforts has evolved into a sophisticated national architecture – one that blends centralized governance with hyperlocal responsiveness. At its core lies an early warning paradigm balancing state coordination, predictive analytics, and grassroots mobilization, a model now gaining international attention as climate volatility intensifies.
Today, China’s early warning solutions have begun expanding globally through the establishment of operational platforms, provision of technical support, and implementation of personnel training programs, fostering international cooperation to jointly tackle the challenges of climate change.
The system’s global relevance emerges through its operational DNA: modular technical platforms adaptable to developing nations, knowledge-transfer programs cultivating meteorological expertise, and multilateral partnerships addressing shared climate threats. Yet its most compelling innovation remains the progressive meteorological forecasting and early warning service.
Developed through analyzing thousands of weather emergencies, this approach layers forecasts like meteorological Russian nesting dolls – broad probabilistic models gradually sharpening into neighborhood-specific alerts as storms approach. Each update tightens the geographic scope while escalating response protocols.
Operational rhythms shift palpably when danger looms. Emergency managers receive tiered notifications through redundant channels – phone calls, WeChat messages, and other channels. This graduated urgency system now blankets all provincial-level regions in China.
In recent years, China’s achievements in meteorological early warning stand as a testament to its relentless pursuit of scientific and technological excellence.
The nation has constructed the world’s most extensive integrated meteorological observation network, encompassing nine Fengyun meteorological satellites, 546 weather radars, and over 70,000 ground observation stations—a sprawling infrastructure that captures an unparalleled breadth of atmospheric data.
Three AI-powered forecasting models – “Fengqing,” “Fenglei,” and “Fengshun”-have set benchmarks rivaling international leaders, harnessing computational power to predict weather phenomena with remarkable precision.
China’s intelligent digital grid forecasting system boasts a nationwide spatial resolution of five kilometers, achieving a 93 percent accuracy rate for heavy rainfall warnings and providing a critical 43-minute lead time for severe convective weather alerts. Notably, the 24-hour typhoon track forecast maintains an average error margin of just 62 kilometers, placing it among the world’s most accurate.
Furthermore, China has established a warning information release system of national emergency that integrates 82 types of alerts across 16 industries. This streamlined process ensures that critical warnings are disseminated to government officials, relevant departments, and industry stakeholders within a minute, enhancing rapid response and coordination.
Ko Barrett, deputy secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), has lauded China’s efforts in developing and building capacity for early warning systems, recognizing their significance as a model for global best practices.
China’s meteorological early warning systems and standards have garnered international recognition, now being adopted across multiple countries. The China Meteorological Administration (CMA) has played a pivotal role in establishing a robust warning information dissemination system in Laos and launching an ASEAN data service platform dedicated to early warning operations.. Collaborating with the Pakistan Meteorological Department, China has developed a bespoke cloud-based early warning system that harnesses AI and other cutting-edge technologies for advanced weather forecasting.
Similar projects are unfolding with the Ethiopian meteorological authority and the Solomon Islands, where China is aiding in the development of cloud-based early warning systems and build platforms tailored to meet the needs of developing nations. Additionally, China leads a multi-hazard early warning system development initiative for Asia launched by the WMO.
China is also bolstering its global meteorological monitoring services. Its Fengyun satellites deliver over 100 types of data products and services to 132 countries and regions. Serving as on-duty satellites for the International Charter “Space and Major Disasters,” these satellites have generated more than 320 remote sensing monitoring reports, offering crucial support for disaster prevention, mitigation, and climate change-related early warnings worldwide.
In 2024, China hosted 25 training programs in fields such as meteorological AI, early warning, and satellite remote sensing applications, attracting 599 participants from 60 countries, both in-person and online.
Guided by the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, China is actively promoting its early warning solutions globally, collaborating with other nations to advance climate governance. This underscores China’s commitment as a responsible major country in the realm of meteorological and environmental stewardship.
At the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, convened in Beijing in September, the establishment of meteorological early warning systems was prominently featured among the ten partnership actions designed to propel modernization efforts between China and Africa.
In November of the same year, at the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties(COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), China unveiled its Action Plan on Early Warning for Climate Change Adaptation (2025-2027). The plan delineates China’s dedication to bolstering early warning capabilities in other developing countries, equipping them with the tools necessary to adapt to the challenges posed by climate change.
China is also spearheading a South-South cooperation flagship project aimed at addressing climate change through tailored cloud-based early warning systems, developed in collaboration with developing nations in need. This comprehensive approach includes short-term training, specialized scholarships, and funding for long-term visiting scholars focused on early warning, risk assessment, and climate change adaptation. Such measures are intended to significantly enhance the capacity of these nations to manage climate risks and mitigate disaster impacts.
Jim Skea, chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), has acknowledged China’s pivotal role on the international stage, emphasizing its indispensability in global climate governance. His recognition highlights the importance of China’s contributions to fostering a more resilient and adaptive world in the face of environmental challenges.
The 62nd session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is held in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang province from Feb. 24 to March 1. (Photo by Tang Kai)
Experts from the Pakistan and China work together to develop an early warning system. (Photo by Xu Nenyu)
A Chinese expert and a local meteorologist jointly analyze the development trends of weather systems at an observation site of the Solomon Islands Meteorological Services. (Photo by Yang Guojie)
