'Heaven' will determine the weather for Olympics

By Yang Lifei  |   2008-8-8  |     ONLINE EDITION

THE weather in Beijing will be decided by "heaven" and there is no effective solution to solving problems such as "foggy" skies during the Olympic Games, an official with the organizing committee said this morning.

Wang Wei, spokeman of Beijing Organizing Committee of Olympic Games, said at a press conference this morning that the central government and the Beijing government have worked hard to reduce air pollution in the capital to ensure a safe event for the athletes and visitors from around the world.

Wang added that the air quality in Beijing is not solely determined by the capital, but also by neighboring provinces and even the whole country.
``The Chinese government has invested heavily in improving Beijing's air quality. In 1998, there were only 100 days in Beijing when the sky was blue while the number has risen to 245 now,'' Liu said. ``This rapid progress can be seen not only by Beijing residents, but by our friends from all over the world.''

According to Weather.com.cn, Beijing will be cloudy this afternoon with a high temperature of 34 degrees Celsius and showers are expected about 6pm, two hours before the opening ceremony begins at the National Stadium