City to set up thunder-monitoring network
16/7/2003 15:11
Shanghai will establish a 24-hour automatic thunder-monitoring network to
give a concise forecast for thunder disaster, according to the Shanghai
Meteorological Bureau yesterday.
The network will adopt the most advanced
thunder monitoring technology in the world, and meteorologists can forecast the
lightning strike accurately half an hour to one hour in advance, with no more
than 500 meters of error margin, according to the bureau.
The network is
expected to operate in the city on a trial basis next month.
The lighting
positioner, introduced from Finland, is the core of the network and can catch
the time, location and intensity of thunders all the time.
The three probing
stations affiliated to the lighting positioner are currently launched in Nanhui
District, Chongming District and Haiyan of Zhejiang Province, with the triangle
network covering Shanghai and the neighboring sea areas, including the
constructing Yangshan Deep- water Port.
Local residents can receive thunder
warning promptly after the network is set up and avoid going to the dangerous
places, said an industry analyst.
The number of thunder accidents is on the
rise in the city over the past several years, with an average of insurance
compensation for thunder accidents reaching 300 million yuan (US$36 million)
every year, according to local insurance sector.
More than 30 thunder
accidents occurred in Shanghai last year, claiming nine lives and destroying
thousands of household appliances.
Wendy Zhang/ Shanghai Daily news
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