Our reporter Luo Qianwen
At the Yanqing District Meteorological Bureau at the foot of Mount Haituo, 11 members of the Yanqing Winter Olympics meteorological field service team once again settled in.
This winter is the last opportunity for actual combat drills before the Winter Olympics.
Yesterday, the reporter came to the Yanqing District Meteorological Bureau and visited the Winter Olympics weather service team.
Less contact with mountains is the biggest challenge
There are 11 members in the field service team for the Winter Olympics in Yanqing, 5 from the Beijing Meteorological Bureau, 2 from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Meteorological Bureau, 1 from the Shanxi Meteorological Bureau, and 2 from the Public Meteorological Service Center of the China Meteorological Administration. One is from the National Meteorological Center.
Shi Shaoying, deputy director of the Beijing Meteorological Observatory, served as the team leader.
A team of 11 people formed the front weather service team.
Shi Shaoying said that at the beginning of the team’s establishment, taking into account the particularity of the Winter Olympics mountain weather forecasting service, the team members were also specially selected. “Young people with strong learning ability must also have certain weather forecasting experience.”
As weather forecasters rarely come into contact with mountain forecasts in daily weather forecasts, the lack of meteorological observation data in this area, coupled with the complex terrain conditions of the mountains, has become a challenge for the Winter Olympics weather service team.
The Winter Olympics itself is held outdoors, but also in mountainous areas. Weather conditions such as strong winds and strong snow have a great impact on the event. However, the Winter Olympics itself has only 16 days. In other words, the event schedule can also be adjusted in time according to weather conditions.
Forecast accuracy is increased to 100 meters
The Olympic Winter Games will be held in the Yanqing competition area, including the most concerned alpine skiing, which is called "the jewel in the crown" in the snow event and is the most exciting and exciting one.
Alpine skiing venues are often located in the mountains, far away from the city and facing the high cold. It is also one of the most demanding weather conditions in all Winter Olympics events.
For example, if visibility is too low, it will affect the sight of athletes and referees; snow temperature and snow quality have a direct impact on the type and amount of waxing of the athlete's snowboard; wind speed and snow volume determine whether the event can be carried out.
There are two tracks for alpine skiing. The drop between the top and the foot of the mountain exceeds 900 meters, and the wind speed is very different.
Not only that, the wind speed also changes at any time at each point of the entire track, which places high requirements on the accuracy of the forecast.
This year, the numerical forecast model team of the Beijing Meteorological Administration has once again improved the spatial resolution of the numerical model at the regional scale, and built a 100-meter resolution "Rui Tu" numerical forecast within the area covering the National Alpine Ski Center and the National Snowmobile Center. Model system.
Shi Shaoying said that the higher the resolution, it is possible to more accurately restore the topography of the mountains, such as the gullies and gullies on the mountains, if the resolution is one kilometer, it is almost invisible.
If the airflow comes over, whether it steadily crosses the mountains, or rushes over the mountains at a faster speed, or is blocked by the mountains and never passes, these must be analyzed in detail, and then summed up and accumulated experience.
However, it is not enough to rely solely on the results of numerical forecasting models. Forecasters have to revise and adjust the forecast results in time based on the experience of field surveys and forecasts in mountain areas.
In February and March 2021, a series of test activities will be held in the Yanqing competition area. For the Winter Olympics weather service team, this is the last actual service before the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Shi Shaoying will also lead the team to provide better and more accurate weather forecast services.
Continue into the mountains to chase the wind and snow this winter
This winter is the last winter training for the weather service team before the Winter Olympics.
Starting on October 11th, the team was stationed in Yanqing again.
Shi Shaoying said that after the first three years of winter training, the team is already very familiar with the terrain of the Yanqing competition area, and knows the changes and influences of meteorological elements under different weather types, but with the continuous adjustment of track infrastructure During this year’s winter training, team members will also be led regularly to explore the terrain, observe the impact of different weather conditions, and strive to further improve the team’s weather forecasting capabilities.
In the event of strong wind or rain or snow, they must go into the mountains to chase the wind and snow.
During the winter training, the team should sort out and summarize the winter training work of the past three years, and review some weather cases to further condense experience.
"Our goal is to think of the possible changes and effects of various weather elements in the environment of the competition area when we see the same type of weather."
The English learning of the team members has not fallen behind.
“In order for the competition team to make good use of our weather forecast in the future, it is necessary to have good communication. For example, the referee asks when the weather improves and when the game can be played. There is no translation, so we have to explain clearly.” Shi Shaoying said, the team All members must be more proficient in reporting in English and communicate in a timely and effective manner.