The Observatory patents automatic weather station design

The Observatory Patents Automatic Weather Station Design

Stephen Lau Po-wing

Trial of weather measurements by a bollard style automatic weather station at the Chinese University of Hong Kong

In December 2020, the Hong Kong Observatory registered a patent in Hong Kong for its in-house developed bollard design for automatic weather station (AWS). With the new design, various meteorological sensors can be housed together in a 3D-printed compact enclosure, solving the problems faced in installing an ordinary automatic weather station in urban areas where space is limited. This facilitates the future development of weather monitoring.

With a combination of sensors for meteorological measurements – such as air temperature, relative humidity, air pressure, and the ultraviolet index, the bollard style AWS also has a lighting feature that allows it to be integrated within parks or gardens as a landscape fixture.