Recently, the precise meteorological service platform for the Bridge area, "Weather and Sea Condition Sentinel for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Waters", jointly developed by SML, Maritime Safety Administration of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Navigation Marker Office, was officially launched on the first day of the 2026 Spring Festival travel rush. The platform ensures minute-resolution monitoring, kilometer-scale coverage, and hourly weather and sea state forecasting, enhancing maritime navigation safety and logistics efficiency for the key transportation hubs across Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.
During the Spring Festival travel rush, the waters around the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge are expected to see a passenger flow of 340,000 person-times. The deployment of the platform has effectively addressed the problems of large deviations in meteorological monitoring and insufficient early warning accuracy in the bridge area waters, providing support for the supervision and service guarantee of water traffic safety during the 2026 Spring Festival travel rush.
the waters of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge
During the platform’s development, SML fully leveraged its scientific research advantages and integrated multi-stakeholder resources. A total of 13 monitoring devices were installed at the primary warning line markers of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, realizing segmented coverage over the jurisdiction and bridge channels. The system accurately collects real-time data on offshore wind and sea conditions, effectively solving prominent problems such as large deviations in meteorological and sea condition monitoring and insufficient early warning accuracy.Meanwhile, relying on advanced meteorological and sea state prediction models, an exclusive forecasting platform for the bridge area has been established. By making full use of big data modeling technology, the platform has improved functions including data query, trend analysis and risk early warning. It realizes automatic early warning and intelligent alerts for wind and sea conditions, enhancing the accuracy of numerical forecasts for severe weather and sea states as well as the lead time for disaster avoidance.
Weather and Sea Condition Sentinel for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Waters
Currently, the platform boasts multiple core functions including data query, trend analysis and risk early warning. It can provide advance warnings of severe weather one day ahead of timeand issue traffic control notifications six hours in advance, precisely meeting the requirements of the sector for traffic organization and management.
In the recent prevention and response to cold waves and strong winds, the platform has greatly improved the accuracy of traffic control and won wide acclaim from the industry and seafarers.
During the Spring Festival travel rush, maritime authorities, relying on the platform, have integrated AIS, CCTV and meteorological and sea condition monitoring data to achieve around-the-clock and precise monitoring of vessel dynamics in the bridge waters. Scientific graded traffic control plans have been formulated to implement the principle of all necessary suspensions and all necessary evacuations, building a solid technological barrier for water traffic safety supervision.
The launch of the Weather and Sea Condition Sentinel for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Waters platform represents an important achievement of Marine Safety and Disaster Prevention & Mitigation, one of major research missions of SML. It is also a vivid practice of translating scientific research advantages into effective local governance.
Going forward, we will continue to deepen cooperation with the Maritime Safety Administration of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and other relevant departments, and further optimize the platform’s functions. It will provide more solid scientific and technological support for the construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge as a new economic and trade corridor, and contribute marine expertise to the high-quality development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
