Site Selection and Protection of Meteorological Stations

Site selection must possess regional representativeness, capable of reflecting the average meteorological conditions within a specific radius surrounding the measurement point. This ensures that observational data meets requirements for representativeness, accuracy, and comparability. The surrounding area should be open and level to facilitate unimpeded airflow and natural illumination, thereby guaranteeing that the sensing surfaces of instruments remain well-ventilated and free from shading.

To safeguard meteorological facilities and the meteorological detection environment-and to ensure the representativeness, accuracy, continuity, and comparability of meteorological detection information-China promulgated and implemented the *Regulations on the Protection of Meteorological Facilities and the Meteorological Detection Environment* in 2012. These regulations establish legal requirements for protecting the detection environments of various types of meteorological stations, including atmospheric background stations, national benchmark climate stations, and national basic meteorological stations.

At the local level, specialized plans are formulated to protect the meteorological detection environment. For instance, the *Special Plan for the Protection of the Meteorological Detection Environment at the Xichou National Basic Meteorological Station* designates the Xichou meteorological observation field as its reference point. It delineates a protected zone spanning approximately 3.54 square kilometers, further subdividing it into a Core Protection Zone (within 500 meters of the observation field perimeter) and a General Protection Zone (between 500 and 1,000 meters from the perimeter). The plan explicitly prohibits-within this protected zone-the erection of obstructions, the planting of crops or trees that interfere with meteorological detection, and the conduct of hazardous activities such as blasting or sand extraction.

Relevant government departments frequently collaborate on specialized enforcement campaigns to protect the detection environment. For example, the Meteorological Bureau of Wudi County partnered with the Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development to conduct on-site inspections of construction projects underway near the meteorological station, measuring building heights and their distances from the observation field. Additionally, they collaborated with comprehensive administrative law enforcement agencies to scientifically prune tall trees in the vicinity, thereby eliminating potential safety hazards within the meteorological detection environment.

Certain local regulations mandate strengthened sectoral management and resource sharing regarding meteorological monitoring facilities. For instance, the *Administrative Measures for the Coordinated Planning, Construction, and Resource Sharing of Meteorological Monitoring Facilities in Shanxi Province* stipulates that construction projects for critical meteorological monitoring facilities-such as ground meteorological stations and weather radar stations-must undergo consultation with the competent meteorological authority prior to approval. Similarly, Huangshi City has developed a comprehensive plan for its monitoring station network, aiming to enhance the coordinated planning of network construction, increase the density of monitoring sites, standardize data protocols, and facilitate the sharing of monitoring data. When an original site fails to meet observation standards, a meteorological station must be relocated. For instance, effective January 1, 2026, 44 national-level surface meteorological observation stations across the country-whose original locations no longer satisfied observation criteria-were officially commissioned at new sites following extensive research and rigorous evaluation. Additionally, 11 other national meteorological observation stations improved their observation environments-through measures such as relocation or the trimming of excessively tall trees-and were subsequently upgraded to the status of National Basic Meteorological Stations.

To accommodate diverse geographical environments, meteorological stations are subject to specialized requirements regarding their site selection and design. For example, stations situated in high-mountain regions must be engineered to withstand icing and strong winds; island-based stations require resistance to salt-mist corrosion; and stations located in desert regions demand a high degree of airtightness to provide protection against wind and sand.