China sets up extreme weather monitor system

Beijing (CNS) – China has established a comprehensive monitoring system to observe, diagnose and forecast extreme weather events, announced the Ministry of Science and Technology on Wednesday.

The system is able to provide real-time information about five types of extreme weather: droughts, floods, heat waves, winter weather events, tornados and tropical cyclones.

It will provide powerful support to disaster prevention and relief. The system has been used to forecast the rainfall in flood seasons in the recent three year period and has successfully predicted the locations of heavy rain belts.

The system also provided sound bases for forecasting, diagnosing and monitoring the 2011 droughts in southwestern China and the cold weather snaps of the 2011-2012 winter.