China and Japan join forces on typhoon research as climate warms
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Scientists and meteorologists worldwide are seeking to better understand typhoons to improve forecasts and mitigate damages.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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SHANGHAI – Scientific institutions in China and Japan plan to collaborate on typhoon observations and research, as warming temperatures threaten to make the powerful storms more destructive.
The initiative will make it possible for relay-style flight missions to observe a typhoon that spans across Japan and China’s zones as part of collecting and sharing data on the storms, according to Dr Tang Jie, director of the Asia-Pacific Typhoon Collaborative Research Centre (AP-TCRC) based in Shanghai.
The AP-TCRC, which is funded by China, announced the collaboration with Yokohama National University’s Typhoon Science and Technology Research Centre earlier this week.
The five-year road map will “further enhance China-Japan international influence in typhoon research”, according to a statement.
Dr Tang said the AP-TCRC, in conjunction with the Shanghai Typhoon Institute under China’s national weather agency, will fly aerial surveillance missions for storms close to China, according to comments to Bloomberg after the announcement.
The agreement between the two institutions was signed last week.
Scientists and meteorologists worldwide are seeking to better understand the storms to improve forecasts, mitigate damages, and possibly even modify their track and intensity, as a warming climate makes the systems wetter and stronger.
Typhoons and hurricanes are the most powerful of storms, known broadly as tropical cyclones. BLOOMBERG
