The Meteorological Bureau of China handed over some meteorological equipment to the Meteorological and Hydrological Bureau of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Thursday.

The equipment, provided under an emergency disaster cooperation program and another cooperation program of the World Meteorological Organization, included pluviometers and fluviographs.

The donation will be helpful to boosting the level of weather forecasting of the DPRK, said Kao Il Hun, director of the DPRK Meteorological and Hydrological Bureau.

The cooperation between the meteorological bureaus of the two countries will bring real benefits to the two peoples, said Chinese Ambassador to the DPRK Liu Xiaoming.

He hoped the equipment would help raise the weather forecasting and anti-disaster capabilities of the DPRK.

(Xinhua News Agency September 5, 2008)