Law of the PRC on Meteorology — Full English Translation (1999, Amended 2016)

Adopted at the 12th Session of the Standing Committee of the Ninth National People’s Congress on October 31, 1999

Amended in accordance with the Decision on Amending the Meteorology Law of the People’s Republic of China adopted at the 23rd Session of the Standing Committee of the Eleventh National People’s Congress on August 27, 2009

Amended in accordance with the Decision on Amending Six Laws including the Meteorology Law of the People’s Republic of China adopted at the 24th Session of the Standing Committee of the Twelfth National People’s Congress on November 7, 2016

Effective: January 1, 2000

Table of Contents

Chapter I — General Provisions

Article 1 — This Law is enacted for the purposes of developing meteorological undertakings, standardizing meteorological work, accurately and timely issuing meteorological forecasts, preventing meteorological disasters, reasonably developing, utilizing and protecting climate resources, and providing meteorological services for economic construction, national defense construction, social development and people’s daily life.

Article 2 — This Law shall apply to meteorological activities carried out within the territory of the People’s Republic of China and other sea areas under the jurisdiction of the People’s Republic of China.

Article 3 — Meteorological undertakings are basic public welfare undertakings for economic construction, national defense construction, social development and people’s daily life, and the people’s governments at or above the county level shall strengthen the leadership and coordination of meteorological work.

Article 4 — The competent meteorological department under the State Council shall be responsible for meteorological work nationwide. The competent meteorological departments of the local people’s governments at or above the county level shall be responsible for meteorological work within their respective administrative regions.

Article 5 — Foreign organizations and individuals engaged in meteorological activities within the territory of China shall be subject to the approval of the competent meteorological department under the State Council in conjunction with the relevant departments.

Chapter II — Construction and Management of Meteorological Facilities

Article 6 — The state shall make unified planning for the layout of meteorological observation stations. The construction of meteorological observation stations shall meet the technical standards prescribed by the competent meteorological department under the State Council.

Article 7 — The state shall protect meteorological facilities in accordance with the law. No organization or individual may occupy, damage or move meteorological facilities without authorization, or engage in activities endangering meteorological facilities within the meteorological observation environmental protection zone.

Article 8 — The meteorological observation environment shall be protected in accordance with the law. Construction projects that may affect the meteorological observation environment shall obtain the approval of the competent meteorological department.

Article 9 — Where a meteorological observation station needs to be relocated due to the implementation of an urban or rural plan or the construction of a key national project, the relocation shall be subject to the approval of the competent meteorological department.

Chapter III — Meteorological Observation and Forecasting

Article 10 — The competent meteorological departments shall organize the networking of meteorological observation stations and strengthen comprehensive meteorological observation. Observation instruments and equipment shall meet the technical requirements prescribed by the State Council.

Article 11 — Observation data and information shall be processed, managed and shared in accordance with the provisions of the state. The competent meteorological departments shall, in accordance with the relevant provisions, share meteorological observation data and information with other relevant departments.

Article 12 — Meteorological forecasts and disastrous weather warnings shall be uniformly issued to the public by the competent meteorological stations subordinate to the competent meteorological departments of the State Council and local governments.

Article 13 — Other organizations and individuals shall not issue meteorological forecasts or disastrous weather warnings to the public. Mass media shall use meteorological forecasts and disastrous weather warnings issued by the competent meteorological stations in a timely and accurate manner.

Article 14 — The competent meteorological departments shall carry out agricultural meteorological services, urban meteorological services, traffic meteorological services and other specialized meteorological services, and provide necessary meteorological data for various sectors.

Chapter IV — Meteorological Disaster Prevention

Article 15 — People’s governments at or above the county level shall formulate emergency response plans for meteorological disasters and establish an emergency response mechanism for meteorological disasters.

Article 16 — The competent meteorological departments shall organize the monitoring and early warning of disastrous weather such as torrential rain, typhoons, cold waves, high winds, haze, sandstorms, low temperatures, high temperatures, thunder and lightning, hail, frost, fog and other disastrous weather.

Article 17 — The competent meteorological departments shall, in conjunction with relevant departments, carry out climate feasibility studies for major projects, major regional economic development projects, and urban and rural plans.

Article 18 — Organizations and individuals engaged in weather modification operations shall meet the conditions prescribed by the State Council and obtain the corresponding qualifications. Weather modification operations shall be subject to the approval and guidance of the relevant competent meteorological departments.

Article 19 — The installation of lightning protection devices shall meet the requirements prescribed by the State Council. Lightning protection devices shall be tested on a regular basis. Lightning protection devices of buildings and structures that fail to pass the test shall not be put into use.

Chapter V — Development and Utilization of Climate Resources

Article 20 — The competent meteorological departments under the State Council shall be responsible for the investigation, zoning and demonstration of the development and utilization of national climate resources, and organize the monitoring, analysis and assessment of climate change.

Article 21 — The state shall encourage and support the development and utilization of climate resources such as wind energy and solar energy, and promote the development of clean energy.

Article 22 — The development and utilization of climate resources shall comply with the provisions of laws and regulations on environmental protection, and shall avoid damaging the ecological environment.

Chapter VI — Legal Liability

Article 23 — Where meteorological facilities are occupied, damaged or moved without authorization, the competent meteorological department shall order the cessation of the illegal act, restore the original state within a prescribed time limit or take other remedial measures, and may impose a fine of not more than 50,000 yuan.

Article 24 — Where anyone illegally issues meteorological forecasts or disastrous weather warnings to the public, the competent meteorological department shall order correction and give a warning, and may impose a fine of not more than 50,000 yuan.

Article 25 — Where anyone, in violation of the provisions of this Law, carries out weather modification operations without authorization, the competent meteorological department shall order correction and give a warning, and may impose a fine.

Article 26 — Where the competent meteorological department or its staff members neglect their duties, abuse their powers or engage in malpractices for personal gain, administrative sanctions shall be imposed in accordance with the law; where a crime is constituted, criminal liability shall be pursued in accordance with the law.

Chapter VII — Supplementary Provisions

Article 27 — Specific measures for the implementation of this Law shall be formulated by the State Council.

Article 28 — This Law shall come into effect on January 1, 2000.