Six automatic meteorological observation stations have been set
up on Mount Qomolangma, more commonly know as Everest, the world's
tallest, to secure a successful Olympic torch relay, the local
meteorological bureau in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region said on Wednesday.
Located at six positions starting at the Base Camp at 5,200
meters to an elevation of 6,200 meters above sea-level, the
observation stations will for the first time form an complete
network to collect and read meteorological data and forecast
weather on Mount Everest, said Wu Shihong, an official with Tibet
Meteorological Bureau.
The observatories will provide updates every hour and summaries
are available every 15 or 30 minutes. Four of the six observatories
are already in operation, according to Wu.
"The data will be crucial for us to know weather changes during
a specific period of time, and the observatories will provide
concrete statistics to ensure a successful Olympic torch relay
across Mount Everest in the buildup to the 2008 Beijing Games," Wu
said.
China has revealed ambitious plans for the longest torch relay
in Olympic history -- a 137,000-kilometer, 130-day route that would
cross five continents and scale the world's summit.
In addition to the Olympic service, the observatories are also
expected to help study long-term climate change in the area under
the context of global warming, Wu said.
A Chinese survey in 2005 found Mount Everest stands 8844.43
meters above sea level.
(Xinhua News Agency May 17, 2007)