中央氣象局為了加強區域性豪雨預報和氣象要素的監測，俾能適時發出預警，以減輕災害性天氣對我們的危害。於是從1986年起，開始編列預算並逐年在台灣各主要流域的集水區和各縣市建置『台灣地面氣象自動測報系統』，目前全國已擁有541個自動氣象觀測站，平均每8公里就有一站，而且還持續在增建中，是世界上建有自動氣象站網密度最高的國家，可媲美日本的AMeDAS（自動氣象數據採集系統）。『台灣地面氣象自動測報系統』經過近三十年來的運作，證明本系統當初的規劃設計、理念和方向是正確的，而且也已發揮了預期的功能；不僅使我國的氣象觀測全面邁向自動化、也提昇氣象觀測資料的品質，同時所蒐集的即時氣象資料，亦作為發布天氣預報和颱風警報的主要依據；而且又可提供防救災作業（例如：洪水及淹水的預報、土石流的預警、危險社區居民的撤離、公路及橋樑的封閉、空警隊救護直昇機的出勤、海難事故的救援…）和氣象資訊的應用（例如：氣候變遷探討、環境影響評估、交通和經濟建設施作工期的擬定、國民生活作息安排、國內外旅遊規劃、農作物生產、漁獲捕撈、漁業養殖、流行性疾病監控…），均已達到預期目標和最高效益。

To strengthen the forecasting of regional heavy rainfall and the monitoring of meteorological elements so as to issue early warnings and to alleviate the harm caused by disastrous weather, the Central Weather Bureau, since 1986, budgeted to construct ＂Taiwan Automatic Weather Observation System＂ in main drainage basins and regions of Taiwan, a system which owns 541 automatic weather stations countrywide, whose spatial density is eight kilometers. With still increasing stations, Taiwan possess the densest automatic weather station network worldwide, which compares favorably with Automated Meteorological Data Acquisition System (AMeDAS) of Japan. Around 30 years of operation has proved that ＂Taiwan Automatic Weather Observation System＂ followed correct ideas and directions and was well designed, thus functioning as expected. This network not only promotes the automation of meteorological observation, improves the quality of observational data, and furnishes real-time meteorological data, which serves as the foremost guidance for issuing weather forecast and typhoon warnings, as the information for disaster-relief operations (e.g., flooding forecast, mudslide alerts, citizen evacuation, highway and bridge closure, air police helicopter operations, and maritime salvage), and as the application of weather information (e.g., Climate Change investigation, environmental impact assessment, schedule setting of transportation and economic construction, daily routine arrangement of citizens, planning of domestic and overseas travel, agricultural crop production, fishing, fish breeding, and pandemic monitoring). This system has achieved desired goals and gained overwhelming advantage.