Official weather information for the opening day of the Beijing Olympics would not be available until Aug. 1, a week before the Games, China's top weather forecaster said on Tuesday.
China Meteorological Administration experts would come up with a preliminary forecast two weeks before the Games. The administration, however, would "probably not publish the results to the public as too much uncertainty is involved," Qiao Lin, chief weather forecaster told a press conference.
He said a statistical analysis based on historical weather records on Aug. 8 in Beijing shows there was a more than 40 percent chance that a drizzle would occur on that day.
The possibility for a heavy rainfall on the Games opening day was far from likely, Qiao said, adding the analysis was by no means an official weather forecast.
(Xinhua News Agency July 16, 2008)