My Take | Observatory feeling under the weather
When they make the right predictions, no one shows appreciation. But when they get it wrong, howls of outrage inevitably ensure.
Observatories exist not just to provide weather forecasts, but as punching bags for the public to let off steam.
People love to vent anger at the government, and few departments are rounded on as much as our official weathermen. When they make the right predictions, no one shows appreciation. But when they get it wrong, howls of outrage inevitably ensure.
And so it is with Linfa. The tropical typhoon led to Hong Kong's first No 8 signal this year. The signal lasted barely six hours. Few people in the city felt the gale-force winds anywhere as Linfa weakened rapidly once it hit inland over Guangdong.
Workers hardly benefited from shorter working hours as the signal was raised at 4.40pm on Thursday. Those who wished for a day off - or at least the morning off - were disappointed yesterday.
The Observatory yesterday defended itself, claiming Linfa met all the parameters of a signal 8 typhoon.
It said it even sent a weather drone close to the eye of the typhoon to monitor its direction and wind speeds.
But it's too bad that with all the hi-tech gadgets and computing power, the Observatory still couldn't save itself from making an embarrassing forecast.