英语新闻周报(06-03-31)
英语世界 来源：国际在线 作者： 发布时间：2006-06-03
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China to Further Improve its Meteorological Service
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轻松一刻：Jason Mraz----Mr.Curiosity 
China to Further Improve its Meteorological Service
Anchor:
China says it will further improve its meteorological reporting services, so as to minimize the serious impact of natural disasters. 
Qiu Wei has more.
Reporter:
2005 proved to be a year with plenty of meteorological disasters for the coastal metropolis, Shanghai. The local meteorological observatory issued 56 early warnings of weather calamities including typhoons, extreme heat and heavy fog.
A Shanghai resident Zhou Lin says circumstances have made him increasingly dependent on the weather forecast.
(act in CH, 2a/soundbite/0323 Zhou)
“Mornings and evenings, I keep myself updated with the weather conditions through various means. Local authorities provide sufficient and all-round information, which facilitates our daily lives.”
Like Zhou Lin, many in China now closely follow the weather report. China suffers from a range of extreme weather conditions, which can have a serious impact on the country. Statistics show that each year, the number of people affected by meteorological disasters including typhoons and torrential rains reach 400 million. In the meantime, economic losses reach 200 billion Yuan or about 25 billion US dollars.
To reduce these negative impacts, China has been endeavoring to improve its meteorological observation and monitoring systems.
The Director of the China Meteorological Administration, Qin Dahe, says a comprehensive weather observation system is taking shape in the country.
(act in CH, 2a/soundbtie/0323 Qin)
“There are nearly 4000 meteorological observatories and stations across the country. China is the second nation in the world to have the new generation of the Doppler Weather Radar system, following the US. We’ve already set up over 100 radars. Besides, China also has polar orbit and geostationary meteorological satellites.”
The Administration says, with such state-of-the-art equipment and technology, as well as efficient information distribution channels, China has improved its accuracy in meteorological reports and forecasts, and its capability in disaster prevention.
Hurricane Matsa slammed into China’s eastern coastal Zhejiang Province last year. Due to accurate and timely forecasts, as well as the preparations made by various departments, serious economic and human losses were avoided.
Meanwhile, meteorological authorities in China plan to strengthen their services for rural areas, urban residential communities, and enterprises.
Deputy director of the China Meteorological Administration, Xu Xiaofeng, says the country is to further improve the weather forecasting system.
(act in CH, 2a/soundbite/0323 Xu)
“In the next five years, we plan to increase our mobile meteorological stations to over 30000, with a wide coverage in rural and remote areas. Also, we plan to strengthen our forecasting ability by launching another satellite. And we will perfect our radar system by increasing the number to 150.”
Xu Xiaofeng says it will take about three years to complete these tasks. He says by then, meteorological services are expected to contribute more to the country’s efforts to minimise the effects of natural disasters.
