Accountant Yang Hua of Beijing is one of a growing number of Chinese people who subscribe to an online weather forecast sent as mobile phone messages (SMS). 

"It is important to make peace with nature in order to live a quality life," said 29-year-old Yang.

At present, the number of China's weather SMS subscribers exceeds six million. A colorful SMS service recently released by the Shanghai Central Meteorological Service even allows users to follow instant weather changes by sending radar-monitored meteorological charts every six minutes.

As the country's weather bureaus and stations are providing increasingly accurate information, Chinese society's concern over weather changes and various meteorological information is rising continuously.

Mu Linshan, anchorwoman of a popular weather program aired by China Central Television (CCTV), attributed people's concern about weather to "their love for life."

To cater to increasing demands for weather information, CCTV started to air three-day forecasts this year, a big change from the usual 48-hour forecasts.

In 2003, China started to schedule the College Entrance Examination in June, aiming to help examination attendees escape the scorching July, the month when the examination used to be held.

An increasing number of big decisions in Chinese society take meteorological factors into consideration.

Sources with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games will be held late July or early August, with specific dates being set according to weather conditions.

In addition, China's meteorological departments released over 500 weather forecasts and weather warnings over summer to help handling of the flooding Yangtze River and Huaihe River, saving 29,514 people from being affected by the disaster and reducing economic loss by 400 million yuan (US$48.4 million).

Li Zechun, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said Chinese meteorological institutions are now able to accurately predict weather trends and typhoons, but still need to enhance accuracy in order to better serve society.

(Xinhua News Agency January 1, 2004)