Forecast: Olympic Games 2008

[Dollsworth]

All eyes are on the Olympic Games in Beijing this month and weather is a key feature of the games.

Events include archery, canoeing, cycling, equestrian events, field hockey, rowing, shooting, football, track and field, and yachting. These all take place outside and are very susceptible to the elements. For example, high humidity can lead to the cycling being cancelled and very strong or very light wind is challenging for sailing events.

The official website of the BEIJING 2008 Olympic Games

Official weather forecasts and warnings for the Beijing Olympics are being provided by our counterparts in China, the Chinese Meteorological Administration, through their Beijing Meteorological Bureau.



Here are the links displaying this data on the Met Office site for each of the 7 stadiums:
Beijing National Stadium
Hong Kong Equestrian
Qingdao Sailing Centre
Qinhuangdao Stadium
Shanghai Stadium
Shenyang Stadium
Tianjin Stadium

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Beijing, August records:

Average maximum temperature = 30 °C
Average minimum temperature = 20 °C
Highest temperature ever recorded = 38 °C
Average rainfall = 141 mm
Average humidity = 74%
Number of wet days (more than 0.1 mm rain) = 11 days

Beijing's climate is defined as 'continental monsoon', with four distinct seasons. Summers are warm and humid and may be rather uncomfortable. Summer rain tends to be inconsistent – one year can be very dry, the next very wet.