Shanghai launches multilingual early warning service

The Shanghai Meteorological Service and the Shanghai Emergency Management Bureau have jointly launched a multilingual early warning service on meteorological disasters, the authorities said on Thursday.

Encompassing Chinese, English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Malay, Indonesian, Arabic, Russian, and Swahili, the service caters to a diverse range of global languages as well as those spoken in countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. Support for this initiative is provided by Shanghai International Studies University.

Utilizing an intelligent translation engine, the early warning messages are instantly translated into multiple languages from the server to city terminals. They are disseminated through various channels, including outdoor electronic screens and notifications on mobile phones, ensuring that international residents in Shanghai are promptly informed about disaster risks and equipped with emergency evacuation measures.

Backed by the World Meteorological Organization, the China Meteorological Administration, and the Shanghai government, the Shanghai Meteorological Service is actively working toward establishing an urban multi-hazard early warning center and upgrading the city's multi-hazard early warning toolbox. Shanghai has also been fostering collaborations with meteorological departments from home and abroad to facilitate global sharing of early warning technologies.