Experts urged Vietnam to renew its weather forecasting technology in order to improve its effectiveness in predicting extreme weather phenomena, at a meeting held in the capital on May 21.

Head of the Department of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change Le Cong Thanh, said that weather forecasters play a key in helping citizens prepare for natural disasters.

He said climate change has resulted in more storms and tropical pressure systems, and the level of damage will be reduced if people are warned of forthcoming disasters.

The Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment warned that the locations of droughts, flash floods, hailstorms, whirlwinds and severe thunderstorms are becoming more difficult to identify using existing satellites.

The institute said that currently it can only issue short-term warnings for extreme weather condition.

A representative of the National Centre for Hydro Meteorological Forecasting said that to raise the efficiency of predicting extreme weather phenomena, weather staff should be trained further in new technology.

The meeting was held by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on the occasion of the 67 th National Day for Flood Prevention and Natural Disaster Reduction (May 22).-VNA