The unmanned station will be completed within a year and will record temperature, humidity, air pressure, rainfall and wind speed, said Wang Jianshe, from the Tibet Weather Bureau in Lhasa.

The unpredictable weather on Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, is currently monitored by a meteorological station 90 kilometers (55 miles) away, raising the possibility of errors in forcasting for the treacherous mountain.

Wang, cited by the Xinhua news agency, said the station was part of a drive to build an automatic monitoring network with 41 stations across Tibet.

Some 20-odd expeditions each year seek to conquer the mountain. At least 72 people have died trying to reach the summit.

TERRA.WIRE