Reading clouds to safeguard roof of the world

As the first rays of sunlight spread across Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region, Tashi Yangzom studies satellite imagery, her eyes quietly tracking shifting weather systems unfolding on the screen.

"The weather here is like a child's changeable face," says the 60-year-old."We have to learn to read it."

Tashi Yangzom, a Tibetan meteorologist at the regional climate center, has spent over three decades observing the sky.

From grainy manual images to precision satellite data, her career reflects the evolution of meteorological services in Xizang. The data she monitored and collected have helped save lives, guide herders, and navigate the challenges of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, known as "the roof of the world".

Born into a road maintenance worker's family in Xizang's Bomi county, Tashi Yangzom understood early how closely weather shapes daily life.

"Whether to bring an umbrella in the morning, whether construction could continue in the afternoon, whether the wind would pick up toward evening — the weather dictated my parents' daily work," she recalls, adding that when her parents were working outdoors, her heart would tighten whenever dark clouds gathered.

After graduating from a college of meteorology in 1988 in Nanjing, the capital of East China's Jiangsu province, Tashi Yangzom became a meteorologist at the regional observatory in Lhasa.

Back then, the most advanced equipment was a manually operated satellite image receiver.

"The images were blurry, like looking at the mysterious plateau through frosted glass," she recalls."But we studied every detail like deciphering a treasure map. Sometimes, identifying approaching heavy snowfall meant working more than 10 hours straight."

A decade later, the introduction of polar-orbiting satellite reception and processing systems marked the beginning of remote sensing applications in the region, significantly improving forecasting capabilities.

In 1997, a once-in-a-century snowstorm struck northern Xizang, stranding herders and burying thousands of livestock. Tashi Yangzom and her team moved into the computer room, working around the clock in temperatures well below zero as computers repeatedly crashed from the cold.

"We needed to determine how deep the snow was and how far it extended," she says.

After days of adjustments, their self-developed snow monitoring system provided the region's first-ever snow depth data, enabling authorities to respond swiftly and reduce losses.

In 2005, when several lakes in northern Xizang expanded rapidly due to rising temperatures, Tashi Yangzom's team analyzed years of satellite and meteorological data to determine the scale of change. Based on their analysis, the government relocated over 100 households from high-risk areas.

She also recalls the 2018 landslide along the Yarlung Zangbo River. By analyzing remote sensing data, her team identified potential secondary risks, prompting the evacuation of more than 1,000 residents.

"Meteorology serves the people,"Tashi Yangzom says.

Figures from the regional meteorological bureau show that the number of surface weather stations in Xizang has increased from 23 in 1965 to 1,284 today, covering all townships.

As one of the regions most sensitive to climate change, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau plays a critical role in the meteorological monitoring of both China and the wider world.

The World Meteorological Organization confirmed in early 2025 that 2024 was the warmest year on record, with the past decade ranking as the warmest in history. Against this backdrop, observing the plateau's shifting weather patterns has become increasingly vital, not just for local communities, but for understanding global climate change itself.

Although Tashi Yangzom retired last year, she continues to mentor the next generation. At her innovation studio, she encourages young professionals to choose their own topics, offering both guidance and financial support.

Pema Yangzom, 32, who is not related to Tashi Yangzom, is among those she has trained. Now leading a remote sensing project on grassland phenology in northern Xizang, Pema has overseen the work from design through implementation.

The young technician says the project, now in its trial phase, will benefit local herders by providing scientific data to guide livestock relocation and production.

"My mentor Tashi Yangzom trained me from day one. Young workers like me will carry forward her dedication to Xizang's meteorological work,"Pema Yangzom says.