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Every year we send out a few qualified students to the Hong Kong Observatory for a fascinating internship opportunity to not only embark on weather and climate research, but also allow the students to experience first-hand the nature and routines of meteorological services. Both one-year and summer placements are available.
ESSC student as HKO intern in year 2021:
Ron CHANG
I am delighted to work as an intern in 2021 at the Observatory. My main duty was to work on the development of urban weather stations. Collaborating with friendly HKO mentor and colleagues, I was able to apply my knowledge of meteorology, data analysis and computer programming, acquire new skills like 3D printing and electronic engineering, and enhance my understanding on weather observation and meteorological instruments. Apart from the main duty, I have also learnt more about the Observatory’s work through involvement in various education outreach activities, the production of Cool Met Stuff, and visits to the operational automatic weather stations. Overall speaking, the year-long journey in the Observatory exposed me to a whole new world and the experience was fruitful.
我很高興能在2021年到香港天文台實習一年。我的工作主要是協助微氣候監測站網絡的發展，除了需要運用過去學習的氣象知識、數據分析及編程經驗外，在天文台的導師及同事的指導下亦讓我習得不同新技能，例如電子工程及立體打印，及增進我對氣象儀器及觀測的認識。除了天文台的主要工作，我亦參與天文台的教育活動、氣象冷知識拍攝，及有幸到自動氣象站參觀，加深對天文台業務工作的了解。過去一年在天文台的實習經歷實在令我獲益良多。
Martin CHUI
I am very grateful for the chance to get involved in the Hong Kong Observatory during the one-year placement internship such that I can know more about its operation and have a deeper understanding of Earth Science. Whenever there are typhoons hitting Hong Kong, the very first thing the public is concerned about is the wind power of the typhoons instead of the potential destruction due to the storm surges. Throughout the placement, my duty mainly includes assisting the development of the forecast and risk assessment system for the storm surge. As the main purpose of this placement is to automate the overall system, the knowledge used differs largely from my undergraduate degree curriculum, which benefited me a lot. Besides, since numerous typhoons occurred in autumn and winter last year, it provided me many opportunities to test the system and the process is really unforgettable.
I am also very grateful to my mentor and colleagues at the Observatory for their guidance and help such that I can complete this placement smoothly. They also provided me with different opportunities to understand Hong Kong Observatory from different perspectives, for instance, visiting the radar and seismic stations other than those at the headquarter, which then allowed me to understand the duties for different positions. Overall, I am very thankful to Hong Kong Observatory for such a fruitful placement experience which strengthened my passion and understanding towards the Earth Sciences.
很感謝天文台給我一年實習的機會，讓我能了解天文台的運作及對地球科學有更深的認識。每當有颱風影響香港，大家都比較關注颱風帶來的風力，然而風暴潮帶來的破壞亦不容忽視。在過去一年內，我的工作主要是協助開發風暴潮的預報及其風險評估。
此次實習目的是令整個預報及評估系統能自動化運作，因此需要用上的知識與於課堂上學到的有很大差別，這從而令我獲益良多；此外，因為過去一年都有颱風分別在秋和冬季影響香港，間接令我可以有更多機會去測試預報系統。我亦十分感激在實習期間上司及同事，他們的指導和幫助令我能順利完成這一年的工作。他們亦提供不同機會及渠道讓我認識天文台，例如到總部以外的雷達站及地震站等的設施，了解天文台不同崗位的工作。最後再一次感謝天文台，令我有一個充實的實習及使我對地球科學有多的了解。
Alex HUI
Ever since I was a child, I have been interested in meteorology and curious about the industry of weather forecasting. I am therefore grateful and honoured to be able to spend a year at the Hong Kong Observatory as a student intern.
My project at the Observatory focused on the development of an impact-based and risk-based heavy rain alert system. Conventional weather hazard warnings often depend on specific objective parameters, which may not precisely reflect the impacts of the hazard. Take heavy rain as an example, existing rainstorm warning systems across the world are generally based on sets of fixed rainfall thresholds rather than the potential impacts of the rainstorm, such as flooding and landslides, and the consequent traffic congestion and even casualties, leaving a gap between the authorities and the public in terms of disaster preparedness. Hence, during my internship, my role was to develop an advanced alert system that could better communicate the risks of heavy rainfall in various regions of Hong Kong, taking into account their exposure and vulnerability to flooding.
Thanks to the guidance of my supervisor, Dr Tam, I have not only broadened my horizons in atmospheric science, but also enhanced my programming and data analysis skills. I have also been privileged to participate in the Observatory's Technical Forum and present my research findings to other colleagues. As an Earth System Science student and a meteorological enthusiast, I am deeply grateful to the Observatory and the University for giving me this invaluable and unforgettable internship opportunity.
自小我便對氣象深感興趣，亦對天氣預報的工作充滿好奇。因此，我很感恩及榮幸能到香港天文台實習一年。
我在天文台的項目主要是研發基於影響及風險評估的大雨警報系統。傳統的氣象災害預警往往著重於特定氣象參數的指標，未必能確切反映災害帶來的實質影響。以暴雨為例，現行各地的暴雨警告系統普遍均以固定的雨量閥值為準則，而非基於災害所帶來影響的嚴重性，如水浸和山泥傾瀉，以至隨之而來的交通擠塞和人命傷亡等。因此，我的職責就是參考香港各區對水浸的暴露和脆弱度，研發一套更能有效預報及表達各區大雨風險的系統。
有賴我上司的指導，在短短一年間，我不但擴闊了在大氣科學方面的視野，亦提升了編程和資料分析的能力，更有幸能參與天文台的技術論壇，向其他同事發表自己的研究成果。很感激天文台及大學方面給予本人這個既珍貴又難忘的實習機會。
Cliff LAU
Working at the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) is one of the greatest achievements ever in my life. I am glad that I could have such a valuable opportunity to work there for 1 year as a student intern. Experiencing routine operations and working environments in the HKO widened my horizon. The HKO provided me with lots of resources and guidance for me to apply knowledge and practical skills I learnt in class, such as atmospheric science and using computer programming to solve problems.
Every student intern at the HKO is assigned a research project. I chose to become a student in the aviation branch since aviation has always been my field of interest. My research project mainly focused on developments of aviation weather forecast and evaluations of numerical weather prediction (NWP) models. NWP is an important element in modern weather forecast. It uses computer modelling to simulate our complicated atmosphere. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) is one of the most prestigious organisations in the world developing weather forecast models. The HKO provided me actual model data for research. I could have hands-on experiences extracting the raw model data which I had never imagined. Staffs I met in the HKO are also very nice and they are willing to share everything with us from research to the academics.
All in all, the year I spent in the HKO was rewarding and unforgettable.
能夠在香港天文台工作是我人生最大的成就之一，十分高興我能有如此寶貴的機會在天文台當一年實習生。體驗天文台的日常工作和工作環境擴闊了我的視野。天文台亦提供了不少指導和資源讓我能夠應用課堂上學到的知識和技術來解決現實問題，例如是大氣科學以及電腦編程。天文台的每一個實習生都有一個專屬的研究項目，而我自小對航空有濃厚的興趣，因此我選擇了一個關於航空氣象的研究題目。我的工作主要是研究航空氣象預報及分析數值天氣預報模型的準確度。我們經常聽到的歐洲中期天氣預報中心（ECMWF）就是一所很著名的氣象預報模式機構。在天文台，我有機會接觸到真實的模型數據來進行分析工作，這是我從未想像過的。天文台的職員都很友善，很樂意解答我們在研究上，甚至是學業升學上的問題。總括而言，這一年的實習經驗十分難忘，也令我獲益良多。
Martin LAU
Being an intern at HKO this year was one of the most memorable things in my life. The experience helped me gain out of school knowledge and made my faith in pursuing a meteorological career much stronger than ever. My project was to predict the diurnal variation of surface temperature in HKO by applying local tephigram into a deep-learning-based model. I remember I was doubtful about my ability at the beginning of the placement, asking myself whether I am able to complete my project well. Thankfully, through working hard and humbly asking for help from colleagues and my supervisor, I finally harvested a lot of valuable outcomes, ranging from multiple programming languages, presentation skills, and robust experience in machine learning, to meteorological knowledge relevant to my project. At the end of the year, my project bore fruit with some unexpected extra contributions. Working in HKO this year also allowed me to make new friends from different backgrounds. The people and working environment in HKO are very nice. This year in HKO is definitely a fruitful and fantastic memory, and I will never forget it.
今年在香港天文台實習是我一生中最難忘的事情之一，不僅因為它讓我學到了一些學校學不到的東西，也讓我堅定了我的目標，令我對從事氣象事業的信念比以前更強。我在天文台負責的項目是通過將局部溫熵圖應用到基於深度學習的模型中來預測天文台表面溫度的日際變化。記得剛開始實習的時候，我對自己的能力有點懷疑，問自己能不能很好地完成自己的項目。慶幸的是，通過努力工作，虛心尋求同事和上司的幫忙，我終於收穫了很多寶貴的成果，從多種編程語言、演講技巧和機器學習的豐富經驗，到與我的項目相關的氣象知識。最後，我的項目開花結果，並做出了一些意想不到的額外貢獻。今年在香港天文台工作也讓我有機會結交來自不同背景的新朋友，這裡的人和工作環境都很好。在香港天文台的這一年絕對是一段充實而美好的回憶，我永遠不會忘記。
Zoe LAU
My past year of working in HKO was one of the most fruitful experiences throughout my career. It allowed me to finally apply and integrate the different disciplines of Earth System science and put it into practice.
My project in HKO was related to the development of Ocean Modelling Forecast System (OMFS). Through coupling the ocean and wave model, we can produce a six-day forecast of the ocean weather. There are various applications from OMFS, including calculating the tropical cyclone heat potential for parameterizing the intensity of tropical cyclone, and estimating the water level related to storm surge.
The internship was not without its difficulties. With the spread of COVID-19, we were initially required to work from home. This introduced various hurdles we had to overcome during our various projects. Thankfully, our colleagues in HKO were tremendously helpful and ready to offer guidance whenever we need it.
在天文台的一年實習生涯，加深了我對這個機構的認識， 不僅是在科學的基礎為市民提供每天的天氣預報，還有海洋、天文、時間等不同範疇的服務。我所負責的工作是和海洋有關，利用海洋和波浪的模型預測未來六天的海洋氣侯資訊，包括水位、水流、溫度等。我們也能透過這些預測所得岀來的數據作分析，例如以溫度來計算颱風潛熱，以水位計算颱風接近有機會造成的風暴潮。
實習中最大的挑戰是我對海洋氣侯的認識不深， 因為我的主修的地球物理是跟地質、地震有關。透過在這一年不斷的嘗試和研究不同的學術文章，加上上司和負責同樣項目的上一任實習生悉心的指導，總算加深了對這方面的理解。這一年橫跨疫情緊張到後疫情時代，更加體會到實習機會難能可貴，希望這個系統在不久的將來能夠應用，而我也能在往後的學習實踐這一年所學到的技能。
NG Tsan Fung
Throughout a year of fruitful internship and scientific research at the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO), I now understand that the knowledge learnt in the university is only the tip of an iceberg. My task was monitoring the weather conditions near Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) by using deep learning model through weather cameras. Meteorological knowledge and computer programming skills were needed which made the project more challenging. Fortunately, the working atmosphere in HKO encourages us to learn from experts. With the guidance and support from my mentor and colleagues, I successfully constructed an automatic weather monitor system driven by artificial intelligence within one year, and the accuracy and quality of the system were further affirmed by other colleagues. In addition, during this internship and research, I was able to experience and keep pace with the current advanced technology. Last but not least, I would like to thank HKO and ESSC for giving me this valuable opportunity, which broadened my horizons in various aspects of meteorology and data science, raised my interest in scientific research and future studies after graduation, and most importantly, made friends with shared ambitions.
經過在天文台一年的工作實習和科學研究，令我意識到大學所學的知識只是冰山一角，但亦是重要的基礎。我的工作主要是利用深度學習，透過天氣照片監測香港機場附近的天氣狀況，所涉及的氣象知識和電腦編程技巧令工作更具挑戰性。因此，透過不同方法例如自學，閱讀文獻以及向導師和同事請教，學習所需知識。在導師和同事的善意指導和支持下，順利在一年內建立一個由人工智能驅動的自動天氣狀況監測系統，而系統的準確度和質素更有幸得到同事的肯定。此外，在這實習和研究中，有幸接觸到先進的智能科技，讓我能積極裝備自己，與時並進。最後，感謝天文台給予我這難能可貴的機會，曠闊我在氣象和數據科學各方面的視野，提升了我對科研和畢業後繼續深造的興趣，以及最重要是認識到一班志同道合的朋友。
ESSC student as HKO intern in year 2020:
Bowie CHAN
Speaking of earthquakes, many Hong Kong citizens would find them very distant and unrelated to them, yet a few small-magnitude earthquakes occurred near Hong Kong throughout history. Occasionally people in Hong Kong could even feel the ground shaking for earthquakes in Taiwan. In fact, the Hong Kong Observatory has set up an earthquake monitoring system apart from the well-known atmospheric and meteorological services.
In the past, the earthquake intensities are determined based on reports from citizens collected through the Internet and phone. However, it takes time and, moreover, reports based on human sensation could be subjective. Given these problems, my project aims to determine earthquake intensities from instrumental data, which give more accurate and prompter responses. After generating and analyzing peak ground acceleration (PGA) derived from strong motion accelerometer (SMA) waveforms, I studied station characteristics and proposed an updated approach relating earthquake intensity with PGA.
The internship was a unique experience because there are seldom internship opportunities related to geophysics, especially earthquakes. I feel grateful and fortunate to be able to help developing the monitoring system. In addition to cultivating self-learning skills for programming and statistics, learning from experts and colleagues is one of the main takeaways from the program. As I was navigating through the system, I was encouraged by my supervisor to propose new ideas for improving the system. Such flexibility allowed me to try more orientations other than the assigned work. This experience was truly memorable, and it motivated me to continue geophysics-related studies.
每當提及地震的時候，許多香港人亦會覺得離它相當遙遠。然而，香港的附近在歷史上也有發生過低震級的地震。事實上，香港天文台除了較廣為人知的氣象部門外，也包含了地震監測系統。
以往，地震烈度是基於市民的報告而決定。但由於這種途徑需時並主觀，得出的烈度未必可靠。因此，我的工作就是利用儀器數據判斷地震烈度，從而獲得更準確和快速的結果。透過分析最大地震動加速度(PGA)，我研究了不同地震站的特徵，然後提出了一個聯繫地震烈度與PGA的新方法。
這次的實習確是一個獨特的經驗，而我也很慶幸能協助發展這個監測系統。不但能培養在編寫程式和統計分析上的自我學習能力，在專家及同事的身上也獲益良多。在探索系統時，上司十分鼓勵我踴躍提出建議改善系統，令我有機會嘗試更多研究方向。這個經驗實在很難得，更推動我住後繼續鑽研地球物理。
Jonathan LAU
Not only that it is a rare opportunity, taking an internship at Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) is also an unforgettable experience for me. Working at HKO allowed me to use my meteorology knowledge and programming skills learned in ESSC classes. Besides, I also learned many knowledge of weather and climate thanks to this internship experience. The project I worked at HKO concerns the development of an algorithm forecasting the growth/decay of a storm cells, by analyzing historical radar data, so as to improve the nowcasting system of heavy rainfall. Although the COVID-19 pandemic reduced my chance to work in office and directly communicate with my boss and colleague, they still gave me lots of device and help when I encountered problem in my project, which enables me to finish my project smoothly in 2020. Overall, working in HKO benefits me a lot.
在天文台實習是一個很難得的機會，亦是一個令我十分難忘的體驗。在天文台工作除了能讓我把在大學學會的氣象學知識及編程技巧學以致用，亦令我學會了更多在天氣和氣候方面的知識。我在天文台負責的項目是透過分析以往下雨天的雷達反射率以促進即時預報強降雨的準確性，雖然我在過程中遇到了不少困難，亦因武肺疫情使致有一半時間需要在家工作，減少了與上司直接溝通的機會，但幸好我的同事及上司仍然給予了我不少幫助，令我的負責項目能順利進行。總結而言，天文台實習令我獲益良多。
Tiffany PANG
Last summer, I was a part of the HKO summer placement programme, during the third wave of COVID-19. This is my first internship related to meteorology and participating in this has always been on my bucket list since I saw the ESSC information brochure. Thank you HKO and ESSC for providing this amazing opportunity and help us experience it through between the second and third wave of the pandemic. I have learnt so much about impact study, and applications of meteorological data in decision making. This short-term project about extreme temperature events in Hong Kong exposed me to a working environment while further improved my research skills.
去年暑假在疫情下參與了天文台暑期實習計劃，儘管疫情下有一些不方便，亦需要有一部份時間在家工作，但也不減在天文台工作的魅力。這是我第一份有關氣象方面的工作，工作範疇是有關極端溫度的影響研究，包括極端溫度對避寒中心、避暑中心及入院的人數影響。天文台在讓我感受到工作環境的同時也令我接觸更多有關學術研究的方法，並爲我帶來一個美好的暑假。
Nicolas LO
I am grateful to have my 2020 filled with a valuable internship experience at the Hong Kong Observatory. Under the influence of pandemics, we all faced many difficulties in our daily lives. Luckily, I was able to spend a fruitful year at HKO. At the beginning of my placement, I was really panicking and doubting my ability. Thankfully, I was able to pick up the work gradually and made progress under the supervision of my mentor and colleagues. My main duty was to work on the development of urban automatic weather monitoring stations, which involved the design of the meteorological instruments, site assessment, data transmission, data quality control and data-sharing platform. Through different assigned tasks, I was able to comprehensively understand the establishment of a weather observation network and equip myself with professional skills, such as 3D printing technology, Arduino and programming skills, etc. One of the most remarkable moments was the designing and installation of HKO patented smart lamppost, namely Bollard. This design not only performed accurate meteorological measurement, but also blended so nicely to our community. My internship experience allowed me to meet many nice HKO staff and interns. I have learnt a lot here and grown a lot this year. Thank you HKO!
我很感恩我的2020年充滿著在天文台實習的可貴經歷，雖然疫情期間大家生活上都遇上很多困難，但我有幸可以在這段時間，過了豐富的一年。初時做起事來我都戰戰兢兢，很怕自己甚麼都不懂做，但有賴我的上司和其他同事悉心的教導和鼓勵，讓我慢慢摸索，我當中主要負責發展都市自動天氣監測站的研究，從氣象站的設計、選址、數據傳送、品質監控以及數據分享平台等，透過完成各種工作，令我對一個城市氣象監測網絡有更全面的了解，牽涉層面甚廣，需要不少專業技能包括3D打印、Arduino開源硬板、編程技巧等等。實習期間最難忘就是參與設計天文台專利的智慧燈柱，這個設計意念是希望一方面做到氣象監測，更希望能開發一個微型輕巧的設計融入社區當中，現在回想以前與同事一起討論和研發的點滴真令人回味，再看看我們的最終成果，真優美啊！謝謝天文台。
Cindy WU
I am very glad to have a one-year internship at Hong Kong Observatory. Although we need to work from home most of the time due to COVID-19, I had still learnt a lot and gained many treasurable experiences last year. My project is mainly to reduce the bias between the original model temperature forecasts and the temperature observations recorded by HKO. Moreover, I had also created a new fine-scale forecasting model to predict the diurnal maximum and minimum temperature. Apart from giving me a chance to use the knowledge I had learnt in class, I also learned a lot of statistical and programming skills from the project. I had also a great opportunity joining the workshops held by HKO, making mini automatic weather stations that can measure temperature, pressure and humidity with just a single-board computer. At the end of my internship program, I had joined the Technical Form in HKO to present my findings. All in all, my experiences in HKO is special and full of variety which enriched my university life. On the other hand, this gave me a moment to think deeply about my career path. I am much more interested in atmospheric science research after my internship in HKO and hopefully, I can have my postgraduate study in this field.
我非常有幸能夠在香港天文台實習一年。在這一年內雖然由於疫情的關係，很多時候都是在家工作，但我仍然在這次實習中獲得許多在課堂上得不到的寶貴經驗。我的工作主要是要減低一些現有溫度預測模型與天文台錄得氣溫出現的偏差，並製作預測全港最高、最低溫新型精細模型。這不但能夠給予我一個機會學以致用，也令我可以學到不少數據統計和電腦編程的知識。此外，我亦有幸參加天文台舉辦的製作小型自動氣象站工作坊以及在天文台的技術論壇中發表自己在這一年間的成果，這些都使我的實習經驗變得更加有趣。這次在天文台的實習經歷無疑豐富了我的大學生活，也讓我深思了自己的職業路向，令我更有興趣在畢業後繼續進行大氣科學方面的研究。
ESSC student as HKO intern in year 2019:
Jeremy WONG
Being able to work in the Hong Kong Observatory was out of my expectation yet a remarkable experience for me. Contrary to the perception of HKO as an solely atmospheric and meteorological research and service agency, HKO also offers geophysical research and monitoring services. Throughout a year of internship, I was responsible on the revitalization of the HKO Earthquake Monitoring System. The project was challenging yet fruitful. Revitalizing the Earthquake monitoring system requires extensive knowledge ranging from usage of different seismic instrumentations, mathematical and geophysical understanding on Earthquake locations and detections to the practical computational and programming skills used in clusters of servers.
I was first overwhelmed by the huge prerequisite in understanding the systems and mechanisms behind. Nevertheless, with the support and guidance from my supervisor and colleagues, I was able to reconstruct a new system with improved efficiency and performance. I was also able to develop a new module using artificial intelligence to validate the performance of the newly developed system. Beside the project itself, HKO also offered me wide exposure to its services and duties. I was allowed to visit and participate different sections of HKO including radar outpost, instrumental maintenance and various conference meetings. The valuable internship experience was irreplaceable and strengthened my determination to devote myself to scientific research.
很感恩能在天文台作一年實習生，在天文台工作一直是我預期之外。天文台除了有天氣及氣象的研究和服務外，還提供了地球物理的監察和工作。過去一年的實習中，我負責更新及改善天文台的地震監測系統。整個地震監測系統涉及的範圍廣闊，包括不同類型地震儀的應用、地震學的數理知識和電腦系統所需要的程式編碼，因此過去一年的工作極具挑戰性。但伴隨着上司和同事善意指導與支持， 最終能在一年的實習其間建立更精準和快捷的地震監測系統。除此之外，新的系統也成功試行加入人工智能監測和評估系統表現，進一步提升效能。除了電腦系統的工作以外，天文台也提供了不少機會讓我認識和參與，例如考察天文台各大雷達站，地震儀的維修保養工作和不同地區和國際性議會，令我實習生涯多姿多采。這一年的實習令我更想進深參與科研工作，進一步研究和理解地球運作。
Taurus YONG
My internship at HKO has intensified my enthusiasm in the Earth System Science field. I worked at the Forecast Systems Division on a research project to verify the performance of automatic global city weather forecasts based on post-processed outputs from various numerical weather prediction models. I have studied the relationship between weather and geology by investigating the model performance carried around the world. During the placement in HKO, I have developed research skills by utilizing statistical analysis on the data performance of models. I have also further intensified my background knowledge in weather and climate, coupled with geology, which makes me more believing in Earth working as a system consisted of atmosphere, geosphere and hydrosphere. Moreover, working and learning alongside the experts in HKO was an incredible experience. The working environment in HKO is dynamic, friendly, and proactive, allowing me to gain a lot in career development and new perspective.
香港天文台的實習令我加深對地球系統科學的認識。我的實習工作是通過對各種數值天氣預報模型的輸出進行數據分析，驗證全球城市自動天氣預報的性能表現，研究了天氣和地理之前的關係。在研究期間，我掌握了運用數據統計分析模型表現的研究技巧，這更進一步強化了我在天氣，氣候和地理方面的知識，讓我更相信地球是一個由大氣、地質、水圈組成的系統。另外，在天文台與專家一起工作使我更加努力和積極地學習。香港天文台的工作環境充滿活力、友善和積極，讓我在事業發展和前景上都有很大的收穫。
LAU King Heng
Working as an intern in HKO last year is an unforgettable experience. My work mainly includes designing and installing microclimate stations and revamping the automatic quality assurance system for meteorological data. Although I faced many challenges in my work, my colleagues and mentor were very kind and gave me valuable advices. I was able to apply the atmospheric science concepts I learnt in ESSC courses to my work. Moreover, I had the opportunity to teach myself skills that are not mentioned in classes, such as 3D printing and new programming languages. Apart from my research work, I was very fortunate to be able to participate in several outreach events, as well as visiting weather stations that are not open to the public (e.g. Tate’s Cairn, Green Island). These experiences were truly eye-opening. After the internship, I now have more motivation and confidence in pursuing further studies after my graduation in Atmospheric Science.
去年有幸到天文台實習，是一個難忘的體驗。我的工作包括主要包括設計及安裝微型氣象站和開發新的氣象數據品質保證系統。雖然在過程中遇上不少困難，但有幸遇上友善的天文台同事及上司給予我意見，令我獲益良多。在工作中，我有機會將我在主修課堂上所教授的氣象學概念學以致用，同時亦自學了不少課堂上未有提及的技能，如立體打印、新的編程語言等等。在研究工作以外，我亦有幸代表天文台參與外展工作和參觀平時難以涉足的氣象站(如大老山、青州等)，確實令我眼界大開。完成實習後，我更有動力和信心在未來畢業後繼續深造大氣科學。
Venus CHEUNG
The one-year internship in Hong Kong Observatory is undoubtedly worth experiencing. My research project aimed to develop a marine forecasting model system using numerical models for the Western Pacific and the South China Sea, which applies knowledge from the following courses: Ocean and Climate, ESSC3300, and Numerical Methods and Modelling for Earth System Science, ESSC4520. Although I merely have a relatively basic understanding in these aspects, my supervisor, Mr. Dickson Lau, was extremely patient to provide guidance and advice to me. Besides the research project, the Hong Kong Observatory provided various opportunities for interns to visit different stations. Having the chances to explore the tide stations, radar stations and other observation meteorological stations has allowed me to have a deeper understanding of the daily operation of the observatory. Moreover, Hong Kong Observatory provides additional training sessions for the interns. Luckily, I was granted the opportunity to attend some lectures about modelling. These experiences offered me chances to communicate with different government parties. All in all, the internship in Hong Kong Observatory is certainly a memorable and amazing experience in my university life, and it allows me to be better prepared for my future career path.
在香港天文台實習一年是一個非常難得的經驗。我的研究項目旨在使用海洋預測模型系統以預測西太平洋和南中國海範圍的海洋氣候資訊，過程中可以利用以下課程的知識：海洋與氣候 (ESSC3300) 和地球系統科學的數值方法與建模 (ESSC4520 )。儘管我在這些方面只有非常基本的了解，但我的主管劉先生還是很耐心地提供指導和建議。除研究項目外，香港天文台還為實習生提供機會訪問不同站點，例如潮汐站，雷達站和其他觀測氣象站，使我對天文台的日常操作有了更深入的了解。此外，香港天文台為實習生提供額外的培訓課程，以提高我對建模的知識，這些經驗亦使我有機會與不同的政府部門進行交流。總而言之，香港天文台實習是我大學生活中難忘的經歷，以及讓我為未來的職業道路做更多準備。
ESSC student as HKO intern in year 2018:
(From left) Nathan WONG, Gabriel FAN, Avis WONG and Coty CHENG
Coty CHENG
Your future is defined by the decisions you make at the moment. Luckily, I had the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone to have internship at the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) during 2018. This unforgettable experience changed my life. I was responsible for the development and installation of urban automatic weather monitoring stations for smart cities. From selecting suitable instruments to designing the outlook of radiation shields and applying 3D printing technology, to finally finding a suitable location for establishment of stations, my cordial supervisor had instructed me in a very supportive way. Since I needed to build stations from scratch, many specialized techniques are involved. So, I had cooperated with my friendly colleagues in different positions to finish my work. They also answered my questions about some technical skills very patiently.
During the internship, in order to turn my idea into reality, I studied and applied woodworking skills and 3D printing technology, which I both had zero understanding before. More importantly, I have developed a more mature mindset, and started thinking in a more realistic way. Also, I have met many nice student interns and became friends with them. This fruitful experience as an intern in HKO was really fascinating and unforgettable, which helped confirm my future goals.
人生由無數的選擇交織而成。很慶幸，我能選擇跳出自己的舒適圈，於天文台實習的經歷改變了我的人生。並非與其他同伴一樣研究電腦模式，我主要協助研究開發及設立城市中的微氣候監測站。從挑選儀器、設計監測站的外型及內部結構、運用3D 打印技術將意念化為現實、進行不同的比較測試從而決定儀器及監測站間最合適的配搭，到尋覓地方建立微型的城市天氣網絡，都在親切的導師指導下逐步實現。工作範圍涵蓋之廣，讓我能有機會與不同職位的同事緊密合作，一同外出工作，他們友善教導經驗不足的我，對我的疑問亦耐心解答。這次實習不僅讓我理解以前從未接觸的木工技巧、3D打印技術，更改變了自己的思考模式，比起以往常流於理論層面，變得多從實際情況作出考量，思想亦比當初成熟不少。 很幸運，能在天文台實習一年實在獲益匪淺，亦令我更確定人生將來的路向。
Gabriel FAN
The HKO internship programme is a valuable opportunity for applying what we have learnt at ESSC to real life problems and working situations. From January 2017 to August 2018, I was responsible for the first-ever micro climate monitoring project through developing a dense observation network in the city centre of Kowloon. I was involved in the design of temperature measuring instrument, measuring site selections, communications, constructions, maintenance, data analysis, presentation and paper writing. I had to communicate with outside parties such as the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, Lands Department, the Polytechnic University and HKUST. Apart from my own project, I was also involved in other works. For example, automatic weather station maintenance and data monitoring, organizing outreach projects such as the Community Weather Observing Scheme in Facebook, Weather Observation Competition for secondary schools, Public Weather Observation Course, the HKO Open Day etc. In this period, I have come across many knowledgeable and helpful colleagues from various divisions and organizations, and have gained a deep understanding of HKO.
天文台實習計劃讓有志投身氣象行業的同學有優先機會去體驗和參與天文台的工作。我於2017年1月至2018年8月負責建立天文台第一個市區高密度微氣候觀測網絡，了解城市内不同環境的氣象差異。我需要設計和建造超過30個微氣候監測站，選擇合適的地點安裝，並與各管理場地溝通，分析觀測資料，並需要在台長面前匯報，協助撰寫學術文章。我途中亦需要與合作的機構和政府部門例如康文署、地政總署、理工大學和科技大學緊密溝通。除了自己負責的微氣候觀測計劃之外，我亦參與了天文台其他工作，例如例行和突發性的自動氣象站維修，協助舉辦外展活動例如Facebook的社區天氣觀測計劃、中學天氣觀測專題探究比賽、公眾天氣觀測課程、天文台開放日等。這個期間我認識了天文台很多不同組別的專才，他們都非常和藹可親和關顧後輩，到現在成爲了好朋友。
Avis WONG
Working in the Hong Kong Observatory last summer break is really an unforgettable experience. I have applied what I learnt in my undergraduate course in my work in HKO. My HKO experience also provides me hands-on experiences on adapting to challenges, all within a nice working environment. My role in HKO involved analysing data and developing an algorithm to provide a probabilistic storm surge prediction. Colleagues and my mentors were always friendly and helpful, they would explain and discuss with me some difficulties I faced so as to solve the problems. They always provided me some directions when I was facing an arduous problem. Besides my own research work, the experiences of visiting some weather stations, tidal stations and seismograph stations not open to the public made my time there really memorable. The placement programme in HKO did help me to know more about HKO and to have a more comprehensive picture of the operation of HKO. It was really a fruitful and meaningful experience.
剛過去的暑假，我有幸在天文台裡進行為期兩個月的實習工作。我在本科課程中學習到不少有關於大氣科學的知識，而天文台正正給予我一個寶貴的機會讓我把過去兩年所學習到的科學知識應用出來。在這短短的兩個多月中，我首先要為天文台過去的颱風路徑預測作出一些數據分析，然後再就這些分析建立一套風暴潮概率預報演算法，讓天文台其他同事能夠進行相關的風險評估。由實習初期對編程語言一竅不通，到最後經過多次嘗試後成功研發出一套演算法，這有賴天文台其他同事全力協助及教導及與其他實習學生的共同研究及討論，更重要的是天文台中的導師提出了不少方向令我能對自己的作品有所改善。 除研習工作外，我更可以與其他的實習生討論研究成果，而最令我留下深刻印象的就是我的導師不時帶我到平時不對外開放的氣象站、潮汐站及地震測量站的參觀。這兩個月的工作確實令我對天文台的認識大增，亦令我結識了不少有相同興趣的朋友，獲益良多。
Conson LEUNG
Working in the HKO is one of my aspirations since secondary school due to my interest in meteorology, therefore I applied for the 1 year internship last year. My project was related to weather radar and rainfall nowcast. I have learnt to use programming (Python) to handle the radar data in my research project, so my programming skills was greatly improved.
Besides working in office, I enjoyed going out for field trips; for example, we went to visit the King's Park and Waglan Island weather stations. Field trips were enjoyable as I could explore many apparatus inside the stations; those experience were valuable because otherwise I would not be able to visit those stations if not going together with HKO staffs.
Internship in HKO is definitely a valuable experience in my University life. The work environment is friendly, and colleagues were willing to help if you face difficulties in your project. If you were interested in meteorology, grab the chance and apply for it!
由於我對氣象深感興趣，在香港天文台工作是我自中學以來的一個願望，因此我去年申請了天文台一年實習計劃，有幸如願以償。我在實習時的主要研究範疇有關天氣雷達和降雨預報。我學會了使用程式 (Python) 來處理數據和繪圖，所以我的編程技巧有顯著的進步。
除了在辦公室工作外，我喜歡外出參觀天文台的氣象站，例如，我有機會參觀京土柏和橫瀾島氣象站。實地考察的機會難能可貴，我可以探索氣象站內許多我以前未見過的設備， 例如巨型探空氣球和各種雨量計。若非與天文台工作人員一起去，平日我無法造訪那些氣象站。
在天文台實習絕對是我大學生活中寶貴的經歷。那裏的工作環境不會太大壓力，如果你在工作上遇到困難，同事也很願意幫忙，我還不時與同事一起討論氣象。如果您對氣象感興趣，把握機會申請吧！
Samuel KAM
Internship in HKO is a truly fruitful experience. You can tell how HKO values its interns because important projects are assigned to us. Under this high expectation and the guidance from my supervisor, I was able to learn way more than I thought. School lectures focus on theories while internship focuses on practicality. Immersion in an environment with cutting-edge technology, and opportunities to do presentation in front of directors and scientific officers of HKO help me to grow. After the completion of my project, my product was delivered to other countries. Knowing that what I did is helpful to those in real need brings me the biggest fulfilment. During leisure, spending time with other interns is also enjoyable.
在天文台實習是非常良好的工作體驗。天文台非常信任實習生，會對我們予以重任。在這種期望，及advisor耐心的指導及支援下，這一年收穫實在太多。學校上課著重理論；實習卻是著重實戰﹕平日的工作裝備你的technical skills, 你會接觸到最尖端、最新的科技/知識，加上在台長面前匯報的機會，實在獲益良多。一年過後，完成了自己的project, 看見自己的product被真正有需要的國家使用，並予以好評，那一刻，看見自己完成了一件很有意義的事情。而工作之餘，與同事及同學們一起共度一年，換來了真至的友誼。
ESSC student as HKO intern in year 2017:
Nathan WONG
Working in the Hong Kong Observatory last year is an unforgettable experience. There, I can apply the knowledge we have learned in the university to do research and develop new products. My research project was to improve the existing forecast verification system, and also to develop and apply new verification methods in the hope of providing insights of where the current weaknesses are and where we could improve. At first, I was not so familiar with some concepts and terms such as database and different file formats, but my supervisor and colleagues were very kind and were ready to explain them. I was also engaged in several other research projects, such as precipitation forecast calibration and cloud amount derivation using satellite imagery, and also had a chance to co-author a paper with my supervisor. Some of the products I developed have been put into operation. It felt very satisfying to see them being are useful. The internship broadened my horizons on various aspects of meteorology, and I learned a lot about the current limitations and bottlenecks in weather forecasting and verification. Together with the computer skills learned there and the experience of handling large amount of meteorological data, the internship really strengthened my confidence and allowed me to be well-equipped for my future endeavors.
去年在香港天文台實習，是一個難忘的經歷。在那裏，我得以運用在大學學到的知識，進行研究和研發新產品。我的研究項目是要改善現有的預報驗證系統，並開發和應用新的驗證方法，希望可以從中窺見何處有弱點、何處能改善。最初，有些概念和用語，如「資料庫」和各種檔案格式，我並不熟悉，但我的上司和同事都很友善，樂於解釋，幫助了我很多。我又有份參與另外幾個研究項目，例如雨量預報校正，和以衞星圖像推估雲量。我還有幸與我的上司共同撰寫論文。有部分我研發的產品已經投入運作，讓我感到很滿足：出自我手的產品真的是有用的！這一年實習擴闊了我在氣象各方面的視野，讓我了解現時天氣預報和驗證的限制與瓶頸，再加上我在天文台習得的電腦技能和處理大量氣象數據的經驗，這次實習無疑增強了我的信心，讓我有充足裝備應付將來。
Leo NG
Working in Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) for a year provides me an opportunity to do research using operational data. Apart from that, the time when Super Typhoon Hato (with typhoon signal No. 10) hit Hong Kong in July is the most memorable moment in the whole year. As a student intern, I am able to observe how HKO staff using professional forecasts and nowcast tools on Hato. During the internship period, I was responsible for developing a simplified meso-scale atmospheric model. This challenging task allows me to apply what I have learnt in boundary layer meteorology (ESSC 4210). The model needs to be continuously modified to obtain better forecasting performance on different weather elements under the supervision of my mentor. This year’s experience raises my interests in scientific researching and further studies after graduation.
在香港天文台利用不向公衆公開的氣象數據進行爲期一年的實習研究是一個非常寶貴的經歷。當中最難忘的就是天鴿在七月吹襲香港，讓身爲實習生的我有機會近距離觀察天文台職員如何專業地應用各種預測工具應對超强颱風的影響。
在實習期間，我負責開發短尺度的簡化大氣數據模型，當中我需要利用我在邊界層氣象學（ESSC4210）的所知所學。在我的導師的指引下，數據模型不斷修改以便能夠更準確預測各種各樣的大氣數據。回望過去，今年的經歷提升了我對科學研究和畢業後深造的興趣。
ESSC student as HKO intern in year 2016:
Yvonne IP
Spending one year in the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) as a placement student is a very valuable experience. Besides having the chance to observe closely how HKO staff provide their professional services, or visiting different facilities, as an intern I could do research based on real operational data, the result of which might be implemented into HKO operational system, thus serving our own home city. My research project includes enhancing conversion from radar reflectivity to rainfall rate, as well as converting meteorological satellite images into radar reflectivity using artificial neural network. Although doing research is not easy, I learnt a lot in the process. During my internship, my mentor has given me many chance of studying different topics. Other colleagues have also given me a big helping hand. The experience of this year has strengthened my determination to devote myself to scientific research.
在天文台實習是一個非常珍貴的體驗。除了可以近距離觀察天文台職員運用他們的專業知識為市民大眾提供準確的預測服務、參觀各個平時不對外開放的氣象觀察設施，實習生還有機會使用不會向大眾公開、實時、高解象的氣象數據來進行各式各樣的研究。研究成果理想的話，甚至有機會被天文台採用。 這一年的實習期間，我要研究如何改善將雷達反射率轉換成降雨量的運算法、利用人工神經網絡將衛星圖象轉換成雷達反射率。 研究過程雖然辛苦，但從完全不懂到略懂一二、從驚惶失措到冷靜地去嘗試不同的解決方案、從只懂得單向地從老師中學習知識到明白到自己去找答案和與同伴討論更能透徹地理解問題，我不但學了許多，也成長了許多。 在實習期間，我的導師給予了我許多機會去研究不同的課題，其他同事也在研究過程給予了我許多幫助，非常感謝他們。這一年的經歷，堅定了我在科研路上努力的決心。
ESSC student as HKO intern in year 2015:
Qian Kaiwei
I started my year-round internship last January in HKO. The project I worked on is to use the CCA (canonical correlation analysis) method to statistically downscale the GCM (general circulation model) output. Besides, the extreme weather in the future such as heat wave and cold surge is also analyzed during my internship. Internship at HKO is helpful. My mentor and colleagues are very kind and helpful and they taught me a lot of knowledge about meteorology and statistical downscaling. Nevertheless, I learnt how to handle different data and enhanced my scientific thinking during my project. I also met lovely student interns there, and I enjoy the experience at HKO.
去年一月，我開始了為期一年的實習，實習的內容是用典型相關分析的方法來降低氣候模式輸出的尺度，得到更加清晰的數據，並且分析未來的極端天氣的走勢。在這一年裡，我的導師和同事十分友善熱情，教會了我很多氣象學方面的知識和技巧。不僅如此，實踐時也掌握了很多處理數據的方法，並且懂得了科學的思維。工作之外也認識了許多來天文台做實習的同學，度過了很有意義的一年。
ESSC students as HKO interns in year 2014:
Mannie KAM
Being able to work in the Hong Kong Observatory was one of the unexpected yet fruitful experience in the 4-year curricula (now 5) in CUHK. I still remember the nervousness of my first day of work, having no previous experience in a workplace. The colleagues there were very friendly and willing to guide me throughout the placement.
During the internship I was responsible for mapping the monthly rainfall data in Hong Kong by using different interpolation methods. Though there was many limitations when approaching the problem and the final results was not very significant, this opportunity has given me a handful experience in doing research and knowing my strength and weakness in solving a scientific problem.
Outside the working hours, the staff in HKO has kindly guided us in several outing tours like the King’s Park Meteorology Station and the office in Air Traffic Control tower. I have gained more insight about the tasks of the observatory and would strongly recommend people who are interested in this field to participate in this placement.
去年我有幸到香港天文台實習一年，雖然我沒有任何相關的工作和研究的經驗，但天文台的同事們都十分願意提攜我，令我獲益良多。我的主要工作是利用克里金的估值方法改善原有的每月雨量圖，過程當中我學習到科學研究的方法，如我將來有意繼續在學術科研方面發展的話，必定大有幫助。在工作以外，我們的導遊亦有帶我們一眾實習生到京士柏氣象站、大帽山雷達站及機場控制塔參觀，使我們更了解天文台的工作。
Tommy CHAN
After finishing various fundamental science courses, I chose to take a gap year in 2014 and went to Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) to work as a full-time research staff for the placement programme in my sophomore year. This is my first independent research project which I have found my deep passion for scientific research.
My research at HKO focused on using statistical methods to extract information about climate extremes in China from different data sources including model outputs, field observations and reanalysis of data. The ultimate goal was to detect, attribute and project regional changes in extreme events in China, which still remain largely uncertain. The major difficulties of the project included data incoherence and the significant effect of natural variability on extreme events. I explored different statistical tools to tackle the problems. Meanwhile, I contributed various data processing programs to my colleagues.
Working at HKO was enjoyable. I met an excellent mentor, many friendly colleagues and student interns. Apart from the research projects, I also had opportunities to visit to various HKO facilities, such as the Airport Meteorological Office, to understand more about the services of HKO. I have learnt a lot of things which cannot be found in conventional curricula.
在二零一四年，正值大學二年級的我選擇暫時休學，到天文台全職實習一年。在工作期間我開展了學生生涯第一份獨立的研究，從此我也發掘到自己從事科學研究的志向。
我在天文台的研究主要利用統計方法，由不同的氣候資料數據，如觀察站、氣候電腦模式模擬等抽取並綜合有關氣候變化的資訊。我集中研究的是中國極端天氣。最終的目標是希望可以為這些極端天氣的長遠改變檢測、歸因、並推算未來情況。研究的難處在於要整合大量不完整的數據、梳理不同的資料來源及處理極端事件特殊的統計學性質。我不斷嘗試用各種統計方法去處理研究的問題，同時我也為同事編寫了有效處理數據的程式。
我十分享受在天文台的生活。我認識了一位用心栽培我的科學主任、一班很願意幫忙的同事。除了研究之外，我也有機會參觀天文台其他設施，更深入了解到天文台平日的運作。這一年來我學習到很多課堂以外的知識，獲益良多。