Radar worth US$2m for national meteorology

Moldova is to purchase a Doppler radar to the value of US$2 million by the end of this year. The device will help to more exactly and earlier forecast unfavorable weather conditions, including heavy precipitation and floods, Info-Prim Neo reports. The acquirement of the Doppler radar is one of the objectives of the State Hydrometeorology Service, which were presented in a news conference on March 23, held on the occasion of the World Meteorological Day. The Service’s director Ilie Boian said the radar will be bought by this yearend and will be installed until the middle of 2012. It will enable to exactly determine the place that will be affected by a natural hazard or even the hour when there will be precipitation. The radar will be purchased with support from the World Bank. Ilie Boian mentioned among the goals the implementation of new software, optimization of data collection, and modernization of the meteorological, agrometeorological and hydrological networks. Among the accomplishments of 2010, the head of the State Hydrometeorology Service enumerated the making of weather forecasts for seven days and the adjustment of the warning system to the European norms. Ilie Boian said the results achieved by them are mainly due to the cooperation with the member states of the World Meteorological Organization. The State Hydrometeorology Service is subordinated to the Ministry of the Environment. It became a member of the World Meteorological Organization in 1994.