Officials organize the evacuation of personnel working on fishing boats before Typhoon Pulasan arrives in Jinqing town, Luqiao district in Taizhou, Zhejiang province, Sept 18, 2024. [Photo/CFP]

A series of activities was held on March 22 in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, marking the 2025 World Meteorological Day.

Organized by the Zhejiang Provincial Meteorological Bureau, these activities included public lectures on climate change, early warning systems, and China's 24 solar terms, as well as climate-themed exhibitions and short-skit performances by local primary school students.

They aimed to raise public awareness of climate change and the importance of early warning, according to the bureau.

Themed "Closing the early warning gap together", this year's World Meteorological Day seeks to highlight the urgent need for global collaboration to strengthen early warning capabilities and enhance climate resilience.

Celebrated each year on March 23 since 1961, the World Meteorological Day commemorates the establishment of the World Meteorological Organization in 1950.

With the intensification of global warming, early warning systems have an ever-increasing importance in mitigating risks and hazards resulting from climate change and extreme weather events. Timely and accurate forecasts enable governments, businesses, and individuals to take preventive and proactive measures.

Zhejiang is a pioneer in introducing and implementing a comprehensive early warning system in China. For instance, the province has formulated four types of severe weather alerts and 15 types of meteorological disaster warning signals, integrating 26 types of disaster warnings from over 10 related departments.

Leveraging a variety of platforms including mobile SMS and social media, a total of 43,734 warning messages have been issued so far, according to the Zhejiang Provincial Meteorological Bureau.