The kick-off meeting of Hangzhou 2022 Research Demonstration Project / Convective-scale Ensemble Prediction and Application (HangzhouRDP) – a World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Regional Association II (RA II) Research Development Project was organized by the Regional Office for Asia and the South-West Pacific (RAP) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on 15 March 2023. Director of China Meteorological Administration (CMA) Earth System Modeling and Prediction Centre (CEMC), Yao Xuexiang, Deputy Director of CEMC, Wu Tongwen, Chair of the project Scientific Advisory Committee, Prof. Wang Yong, department leaders of CMA, and leaders and experts from National Meteorological Centre (NMC), National Meteorological Information Centre (NMIC), National Satellite Meteorological Centre (NSMC), and CMA Training Centre (CMATC) attended the meeting in Beijing venue. Director of Zhejiang Meteorological Bureau (ZMB), Miao Changming, attended the meeting in Wenzhou venue. Deputy director of ZMB, Pan Jinsong, attended the meeting in Hangzhou venue. The kick-off meeting was chaired by Ben Churchill, the Director of the RAP.

Dr. Chen Feng from ZMB delivered a report on scientific challenges of meteorological services for the Asian Games and Asian Para Games in Hangzhou. He highlighted the importance of developing ensemble products meeting the demands of prediction and early warning during the Asian Games. Dr. Chen Jing from CEMC introduced the HangzhouRDP Implementation Plan. The HangzhouRDP is designed to be executed in two years, focusing on enhancing the prediction and early warning capabilities of local precipitation and wind in 0-36 h using uncertainty information from an ensemble prediction system.

The HangzhouRDP was a WMO RA II Research Development Project initiated jointly by ZMB and CEMC. It implements the “Outline of high-quality meteorological development (2022-2035)” and WMO proposals to enhance early warning capabilities and develop earth system model and numerical analysis. The HangzhouRDP has received positive responses from NMC, NMIC, Huafeng Meteorological Media Group, and CMATC and continues to appeal to the participation of WMO RA II members to contribute to the improvement of international influence and service quality of severe weather prediction and early warning capabilities as well as enhancement of international communication of meteorological technologies. The 18th session of RA II Management Group approved the HangzhouRDP proposal. The project implementation plan has been developed after continuous discussions and refinements. The HangzhouRDP is supported by the National Key Research and Development Project Program of China "Key Techniques and Demonstration and Application of continuous forecast of typical severe weather in kilometre scale", and Joint Funds of the National Natural Science Foundation of China. (Editor: Ma Ruoyun, Chen Jing, and Zhou Qingliang)