Hanoi has been chosen as the forecast support center for weather phenomena for countries in Southeast Asia by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Vietnam has performed a key role as a Regional Forecast Support Center (RFSC) after participating in the Severe Weather Forecasting Demonstration Project (SWFDP) in 2010, part of an initiative by the WMO to improve countries’ capabilities in mitigating damage caused by severe weather.

It supports weather forecasting in the region and shares models that help warn of dangerous weather phenomena in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines and, recently, Myanmar. 

The forecasts from RFSC Hanoi are used daily by ASEAN member countries, further enhancing the official forecasts of members of the WMO.

The center in Hanoi is still in the trial stage, according to Mr. Tran Hong Thai, Deputy General Director of the General Department of Meteorology, which oversees its operations. 

After the trial, the center will go full stream, receiving support in the form of meteorological data provided by a network of similar centers around the world, in the US, Japan and certain European countries, among others.

A two-week training workshop on severe weather forecasting, organized by the WMO, kicked off on March 19 in Hanoi. 

Lasting through March 30, the workshop aims to equip meteorological experts in Vietnam with the analytical skills needed to make early warnings of severe weather conditions for neighboring countries.

As Vietnam is hit by more than ten tropical storms a year on average, the support center is expected to help fine-tune the country’s future forecasts for better mitigation. 

There were 16 typhoons in Vietnam last year, which caused over VND22.6 trillion ($996.66 million) in property damage and affected the livelihoods of millions.

VN Economic Times