Liu Qi, president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG), on Monday urged meteorologists countrywide to strive to provide the best services during the Olympics next summer.

"A top-grade Olympic Games can not do without first-class weather services," said Liu, who called on meteorological departments to provide more accurate forecasts and carry out international cooperation.

Due to global climate change, the weather during next year's Olympic Games will be much more complicated than previous ones and therefore poses tougher requirements for our weather services, he said.

Beijing has set up 26 bases around the city to carry out rain reduction projects for the grand sports event next year.

The city has been trying to improve meteorological services to serve the event, including accurate weather forecasts and air quality reports.

On Aug. 8, China held a rain reduction drill in Inner Mongolia to ensure that the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games would not be interrupted by rain.

(Xinhua News Agency August 21, 2007)