China Earthquake Network launches new WeChat early‑warning features

On 2 August, the China Earthquake Network announced that its WeChat mini‑program now includes two new capabilities: “felt‑report aggregation” and “location update”. After receiving an earthquake alert, users can submit the intensity they experienced; the data are processed into a real‑time felt‑distribution map that helps authorities and other users gauge actual shaking. The location‑update function detects when a user moves and prompts them to add the new area to their alert subscription, ensuring warnings stay relevant to their current whereabouts.

The platform, which integrates national seismic data into a public digital service, has issued more than 700 alerts and counts over 60 million subscribers, with a total public‑service reach exceeding 400 million people. The rollout follows a 3.0‑magnitude quake recorded at 08:25 UTC on 2 August in Xinghai County, Qinghai Province, underscoring the need for timely, crowd‑sourced information.

These enhancements aim to improve the precision of seismic data for professional agencies and to provide the public with clearer guidance for personal safety during earthquakes.