The existing Phased Array Weather Radar, or PAWR, proved effective in monitoring rapidly changing weather conditions, but it could not cover the entire city, the Hong Kong Observatory said.

“We want to strengthen our capacity to monitor and give early warnings of adverse or high-impact weather conditions,” environment chief Tse Chin-wan told a Council committee meeting on Monday. legislative.

“We therefore propose to implement a phased array weather radar system on a territorial scale.”

Tse said it could also help improve weather data exchange in the Greater Bay Area and boost the low-lying economy by providing more timely weather information.

The existing PAWR at Sha Lo Wan on Lantau Island had a maximum range of about 60 km, leaving some blind spots in the densely populated areas of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island.