Royal - HKU Libraries - The University of Hong Kong

IntroductionIifc on earth is possible because Man has water, a blanketof life-supporting gases, and a climate that is neither toohot nor too cold.While the scientific study of atmospheric conditions,especially to forecast weather - meteorology - is a relativelymodern development, man's interest in the weather is as oldas the human race.The Chinese arc known to have developed some of theearliest theories about weather, particularly in relation toagriculture.The Record of the Rites of Chou, dating from about200BC, mentions an imperial astronomer who, amongother duties, observed the sun and moon in order todetermine the succession of the four seasons. There was alsoan imperial astrologer who determined the coming of floodsor drought from the colours of types of clouds.*A third official, the Shih Chin, made observations of amore meteorological nature.Such officials were organised in a special governmentdepartment, the Astronomical Bureau (or Directorate — thename was often changed, but its functions remained broadlythe same).Needham notes that the Chinese kept meteorologicalrecords as far back as the 13th Century BC, with inscriptionsin 1216BC recording rain, snow, sleet and wind and thedirection of rain and wind.It is clear that, with time, the use of such data becamebetter understood, so that by the 12th Century AD there arereferences to more than 20 books on meteorologicalforecasting.An understanding of the importance of the connectionbetween weather and agriculture also emerges from earlyChinese sources. By the late 4th Century BC, the meteoro-*Nccdham, Joseph, Science and Civilisation in China, Vol. 3, Cambridge,1959.9