China has made accurate forecasts of dust or sandstorms this spring, according to an announcement Friday by the China Meteorological Administration (CMA).

From early this year, China meteorological departments have stepped up efforts to monitor and forecast sandstorms, and the results have proved successful, said Li Huang, deputy director of the CMA.

China's state-level sandstorm monitoring and alarm system was put into operation on March 1, consisting of 24-hour observation by ground meteorological stations across the country and remote sensing and data transmission by meteorological satellites in space.

The Central Meteorological Station, under the CMA, put sandstorm forecasts in its daily weather forecasts for the first time this spring, which was made publicly known through the media.

The CMS made successful forecasts of 16 sandstorms this spring 24 to 48 hours before they happened, according to the deputy director.

There had been 18 dust or sandstorms in north China regions by mid May, and Beijing, the Chinese capital, was attacked on 10 of those occasions.

(www.eastday.com.cn 05/26/2001)