A network will be established to monitor the climate and ecology of 16 cities in the Yangzte River valley, according to a meeting convened in Shanghai Wednesday by directors of meteorological departments of the 16 cities.

The network is believed to be the first cross-provincial system of the its kind ever built up in the country.

Under the scheme, a database for sharing information is to be built by the Shanghai meteorological bureau to collect all related real-time information and statistics offered by the cities.

Existing advanced weather observation networks, satellite and telecommunication systems in the cities have set a good foundation for the establishment of the regional system on weather, ecology, and environment surveillance, evaluation and information services, said experts.

The regional network will center on surveillance of the urban and wetland and lake ecological situation, as well as the performance of ecological agriculture.

Information to be offered includes general weather indices, road temperature, acid rain, ultraviolet, dust, sand and organic compound content in earth, phenology, weather forecast for scenic spots and parks, coastal water temperature, and changes of marshes.

The surveillance is expected to improve the forecast of typhoons, rainstorms, high and low temperature, gales, flooding and other disasters in the region.

(Xinhua News Agency May 27, 2004)