The system, jointly financed by the Meteorological Administration and the government of the city of Jingzhou in Hubei, is the key element of a large state meteorological research program titled, "Outdoor experiment on intermittent drizzle front and strong rainstorms in the Yangtze River Valley."

With the application of a number of advanced technologies, the meteorological radar system only takes a few minutes to assemble and dismantle, and only needs three trucks to transport it, said Gao Zhonghui, the engineer responsible for the development of the system at the Hefei-based Anhui Sichuan Electronics Co.

Helped by the radar, meteorological workers will not only be able to survey weather features, but also to gauge the distribution of air currents based on the principle of the Doppler effect, and thereby make timely and accurate forecasts about common natural disasters in the basin of the Yangtze River in Hubei, Xinhua News Agency said.

The section of the Yangtze, also called the Jingjiang River, traverses complicated landforms, making it difficult to monitor and forecast natural disasters, especially floods. Thus Jingjiang is the most dangerous section of the river.

Experts believe that the operation of the Doppler radar will help improve the country's capability to forecast and monitor intermittent drizzle fronts and heavy summer rainstorms in the area south of the Yangtze River, and facilitate anti-flood efforts.

The radar network is being upgraded with about 100 sets of new-generation Doppler weather radar systems.

(eastday.com 09/04/2001)