Want to take dramatic cloud pictures? Hong Kong Observatory’s new online portal will help

Forecaster launches beta version of webpage that will collate weather snaps from public and provide information on weather conditions targeted at photography enthusiasts

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Clouds over Victoria Harbour, photographed from The Peak. Photo: David Wong

Published: 5:15pm, 3 Mar 2016Updated: 7:37pm, 3 Mar 2016

Outdoor photographers will now be able to literally see what the weather will be like in a certain area before setting out with their cameras thanks to a new information portal on the Hong Kong Observatory’s website that collates weather snaps from the public.

The new portal will allow Hong Kong’s growing army of amateur cloud and weather photography enthusiasts to better “comprehend weather conditions in planning their activities”, according to the forecaster.

Landscape photography is currently very popular among camera buffs, and the webpage will help them seek out ideal conditions for dramatic shots. Outdoor enthusiasts will also be able to refer to the latest photos to get a better idea of what the weather may be like.

A screen grab from the new online portal. The beta version was launched on Thursday. Photo: SCMP Pictures

“This is useful for identifying the existence of relatively moist air, temperature inversion and other situations in the atmosphere, so as to assess the possibility of the formation of clouds, frost, fog, haze and more,” the Observatory said in a statement.

The portal will also feature photos of clouds or special weather events taken by the public plotted on a map, accompanied by the relevant scientific information on some of them with a view to promoting public education on meteorology.