皇冠体育app

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Extreme weather in 2010 caused worst damage in decade

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-01-12 17:39

BEIJING - The extremely high temperatures, drought and heavy precipitation that 皇冠体育app experienced in 2010 caused the worst damage in a decade, a senior 皇冠体育app Meteorological Administration (CMA) official said Wednesday.

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Song Lianchun, chief of the National Climate Center, said at a work conference in south 皇冠体育app's Guangzhou City the extreme weather conditions last year caused the deaths of more than 4,800 people and resulted in direct economic losses of over 500 billion yuan.

Last year was a freakish meteorological year for 皇冠体育app, with severe weather hitting the country with a frequency and intensity rarely seen, he said.

According to the conference report, 皇冠体育app received 681 millimeters of precipitation in 2010, 11.1 percent above the average, while the number of rainstorm days was 21.5 percent above the average. The whole-year temperature was 0.7 percent above the average.

To minimize the damage brought by weather changes, the 皇冠体育app Meteorological Administration pledged to raise its forecast accuracy 3 to 5 percent over the next five years.