Typhoon Control Research

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30710, 27 March 1965, Page 3

Typhoon Control Research

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON,

March 26.

America’s “Mr Hurricane”—Dr. R. H. Simpson, director of the National Hurricane Control Research Project in Florida—has been engaged by the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East to help solve the problems of controlling typhoons in Asian countries.

The executive secretary, U Nyun, told the E.C.A.F.E. conference today that Dr. Simp-

son’s advice, as well as the advice of Asian typhoon experts, would be sought in an effort to avert major disasters in countries most affected by typhoons, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines.

U Nyun said E.C.A.F.E. was engaged in “costly research” on the question of dealing with problems arising out of the “havoc-wreaking effects” of typhoons and hurricanes. After outlining his country’s over-all plan for water utilisation and development during the next 15 years, Mr Machkamov suggested that the Government in each country must assume management of all water resources of the nation. The Soviet delegate in his address during this morning’s debate on water resources development also stressed the importance

of solving the salt intrusion problem. He said the means of decreasing or eliminating salt intrusion will be of help to E.C.A.F.E. countries. Mr R. Smith, from the Agency for International Development in Washington, said the United States Weather Bureau had followed up its 1962 “Storm Fury” project—a study of the structure and dynamics of hurricanes—with efforts in 1963 to modify hurricane “Beulah” by seeding clouds near the storm centre. Plans have now been made to secure missing data from previous studies in hurricane control. Mr Smith said scientists were convinced the Atlantic seaboard research was applicable to Pacific typhoons, but he emphasised that weather modification was still in the early stages of development.