NUMBER OF DANGEROUS HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PHENOMENA INCREASES IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
March 21, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 21, NOYAN TAPAN. Starting 1961, the World Meteorological
Organization (WMO) has been marking March 23 as the World Day of
Meteorology. Armenia is also among 187 countries that have joined
this organization. The first meteorological observations in Armenia
were held in 1843 in Gyumri.

As Levon Vardanian, the director of the Hydrometeorology and
Monitoring State Service of Armenia (Haypethydromet), informed
the Noyan Tapan correspondent, currently 44 meteorological and 3
specialized, 7 hydrological stations, 1 agro-meteorological and 94
water-gauge observation points operate in Armenia. The condition of
air, water and earth is observed by Haypethydromet by means of those
stations and observation points.

According to L. Vardanian, during 2007 the degree of justification of
the meteorological forecasts of the service made 91.6% for Yerevan. It
was mentioned that according to the international standards, a forecast
justified by 80% is already considered to be a success.

L. Vardanian said that the number of dangerous hydrometeorological
phenomena has increased in Armenia. Thus, 45 dangerous phenomena were
observed in 2005 and 53 in 2006, while in 2007 – 67. It, according
to Vardanian, is observed in the whole world and is conditioned by
global change of climate.

It was also mentioned that in 2008 nearly 36 mln drams (about 116.5
thousand USD) are envisaged to be allocated from the state budget
for getting new equipment for the service.