The newly completed Yangon Meteorological Radar Observation station was handed over from Japan to Myanmar and the handing over ceremony was held on October 24th at Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, Ministry of Transport and Communications.

Through the rain fall and other weather data from weather radar system set in Kyauk Phyu, Yangon and Mandalay, it will be possible to observe the most part of the country including the Bay of Bengal and to issue early warning. Kyauk Pyu station was completed in 2015 and Mandalay station will be completed in next year. The total cost for the project is approximately 4 billion Japanese Yen.

The ceremony was attended by H.E.U Thant Sin Maung, Minister for Transport and Communications, H.E.U Pyo Min Thein, Chief Minister of the Yangon Region, H.E.Mr. Tateshi Higuchi, Ambassador of Japan, Mr.Hideaki Matsuo, Counselor of Embassy of Japan, Mr.Keiichiro Nakazawa, Chief Representative of JICA.

Ambassador Tateshi Higuchi said, “Japan has suffered many natural disasters as the Great East Earthquake hit Japan in 2011. Japan would like to continue to promote its cooperation with the Myanmar government in the field of metorology and disaster prevention”.

U Thant Sin Maung, Union Minister for transport and communication, expressed appreciation, stating that the new radar system would contribute greatly to the safety of lives in Myanmar.

In 2008, the Irrawaddy delta and southern Yangon in Myanmar were hit by Cyclon Nargis. More than 138,000 died and missing, as many as 2.4 million people were affected.