The 80th session of the Executive Council (EC‑80) of the World Meteorological Organization took place on June 22-26 in Geneva, Switzerland, with the recognition of Centennial Observing Stations included on the agenda.

Four stations in China – Guiyang in Guizhou province, Tanggu in Tianjin, Tengchong in Yunnan province, and Yueyang in Hunan province – were added to the list, bringing the total listed stations in China to 22.

All four newly recognized stations possess continuous observation records spanning over a century. The Guiyang Meteorological Station in Southwest China was chosen on the strength of its uninterrupted 105-year observational record dating back to 1920.

It has become the first station in Guizhou to earn the honor, turning its vast quantities of meteorological data into globally recognized scientific assets.

Since its establishment in 1920, the Guiyang Meteorological Station has endured wars, relocations, and technological transformations, yet has never ceased its daily scheduled observations. To date, it has compiled a complete 105-year sequence of temperature, precipitation, atmospheric pressure, and other essential climate indicators.

This long-term dataset is particularly invaluable in the complex terrain of Southwest China, not only filling a critical gap in long-term climate baseline data for the central Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, but also providing an irreplaceable regional sample for the WMO's global climate monitoring network.

According to meteorological experts, the high-precision historical data continuously generated by these centennial stations have become a fundamental pillar for studying regional climate change patterns across China, identifying trends in extreme weather events, and enhancing forecasting and service capabilities.

The Guiyang Meteorological Station's dataset spanning a century has already been applied to numerous major research projects, including drought frequency analysis in Southwest China, prediction of winter freezing disaster events, and urban heat island effect assessments.

The WMO recognition is not only a tribute to the dedication of multiple generations of grassroots meteorological workers, but will also facilitate the international sharing of China's long-term observational data, contributing to global climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction efforts.