VietNamNet Bridge - The hydro-meteorological forecasting agency made inaccurate forecasts because of low-quality equipment sourced from China.

Typhoon Mirinae, the first that hit Vietnam this year, has caused serious human and property damage in the northern provinces. Seven people were reported dead or missing, while losses were estimated at about VND3.5 trillion.

Nam Dinh suffered the most from the typhoon with losses estimated at VND2.35 trillion. The province’s chair Pham Dinh Nghi said the hydro-meteorological forecasting agency gave true forecasts about the direction of the typhoon and the areas it landed, but wrong forecasts about the levels of winds on the mainland.

According to Hoang Van Thang, Deputy Head of the Central Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention, the forecasting agency said at the meeting with relevant agencies on July 26 that the typhoon would attack Hai Phong City and Quang Ninh province. However, on July 27, it was clear that the typhoon went to Thai Binh and Nam Dinh provinces.

The hydro-meteorological forecasting agency made inaccurate forecasts because of low-quality equipment sourced from China.

“We were on the way to Quang Ninh province to supervise the typhoon and flood prevention works when we heard about the new direction of the typhoon and we had to head for Thai Binh,” he said.

“The forecasting agency gave a warning about the re-direction of the typhoon in a timely fashion, but it could not say about the gale levels and its movement ashore,” he said.

Wrong forecasts were also given about the third typhoon that hit Vietnam this year. Major General Nguyen Van Nam, Deputy Commander Chief of the Border Guard Command, said the forecasting agency gave accurate warnings about direction, rainfall and the time the typhoon hit the Gulf of Tonkin, but gave inaccurate forecasts about the wind level. 

The agency forecast stronger winds, at level 12, but it was actually weaker.

Nguyen Van Tue, head of the Hydro-meteorological and Climate Change Agency, when asked about the forecasts, said this was because of limited forecasting capability and low technology.

He said the government approved a plan on improving the 2010-2012 meteorological forecasting capability with total budget of VND1.36 trillion. However, only 1/3 of the plan has been implemented.

To date, only one forecasting center has been built and investments have been made to measure rainfall, while radar, considered the ‘eye and ear’ of a forecasting agency, has not been equipped. The plan for a lightning positioning system remains on paper.

Pham Van Duc, former deputy director general of the National Hydro-meteorological Forecasting Agency, admitted that the agency had bought Chinese equipment.

Tien Phong