Meteorologists from America and Canada are helping with short term weather forecasts during the Olympic Games, Wang Jianjie, deputy director of the Beijing Meteorological Bureau, told the press yesterday.

Speaking at a press conference at Beijing International Press Center on August 10, Wang Jianjie, deputy director of the Beijing Meteorological Bureau, said the Olympic Meteorological Center is using eight advanced forecasting systems from America, Canada, Australia, China, and Hong Kong, to help predict the Olympic weather. Moreover, experts from America and Canada are helping with short term forecasts during the games.

Guo Hu, director of the Beijing Observatory, said the Metrological Service Center will broadcast a three day weather forecast every 3 hours.

Guo added that for events easily influenced by weather, such as tennis and road cycling, weather forecasts would be published every hour. "We are providing weather reports to the Tennis Center every hour, as we did for the opening ceremony. We also broadcast hourly bulletins covering the cycling routes. We have meteorological experts at each venue to provide a direct service to Olympic officials."

(China.org.cn by Hou Xiaoying ,August 11, 2008)