Unmanned polar station 'successful'

The first Chinese unmanned weather station deployed at Dome Argus, the highest point on the Antarctic Plateau, has been hailed a success after completing a full year of testing.

The automatic station is the result of intense research by the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences.

On Monday, the China Meteorological Administration said the result means the country has become the third nation - joining Australia and the United States - capable of automatically measuring climate conditions in the coldest regions of the Antarctic ice sheet.