Jointly developed by the Henan Mobile Communication Company and the provincial meteorological bureau, the system sends forecasts of hazardous weathers to the public in as part of the bid to minimize any damage.

The forecasting system had the capacity to send over 300 text messages per second and reach more than one million Mobile phone subscribers in an hour, said Yuan Jianguo, general manager of the provincial Mobile Communication Company.

Free to all Mobile subscribers in the province, the service now provides hazardous weather text-messages for such adversities as thunderstorms, rainstorms and hailstorms.

The service will also include earthquake and flood warnings in the near future, according to Yuan.

Before it was launched, meteorological departments had few effective means to warn of natural adversities as promptly as possible, the source disclosed.

The company, the largest of its kind in Henan province, now covers all urban and rural areas of the province.

(Xinhua News Agency August 21, 2002)