*BEIJING:* China has set up an unmanned weather station in Tibet which canbe used for military purpose in the event of an armed conflict with India,according to a report.
According to the state-run Global Times, this unmanned automatic weatherobservation station has been set up in the Yumai township in SouthwestChina’s Tibet Autonomous Region close to the Indian border.
The construction of the station started in early 2018, but it was severelyhit due to extremely bad weather in the area. It was finally completed inJune and the station transmitted its first weather data on June 22, thereport said.
The unmanned weather station set up near Arunachal Pradesh will providemeteorological support to the Chinese military and assist operations ofaircraft and missiles in case of “regional live-fire conflicts,” the reportsaid.
The weather station in the Yumai township under Lhunze county of ShannanPrefecture in Tibet will eliminate a blind area of meteorological services,said the state-run Global Times report.
It will also provide strong meteorological support for national defence andfurther promote border development as well as military-civilianintegration, according to a statement by the Tibet weather bureau.
“The station can observe six factors, including air temperature, airpressure, wind speed, wind direction, humidity and precipitation, with moreaccuracy than before,” Tashi Norbu, a technician in charge of the station,was quoted as saying by the state-run daily.
“Yumai is at the border. The station could provide data to help withtransportation and communication in national defence. It could also offersupport during regional live-fire conflicts,” Norbu said.
The unmanned weather station is significant since regional weather is animportant factor that could influence the take-off and landing of aircraftand the launch of missiles during a battle, Song Zhongping, a militaryexpert, was quoted as saying by the Global Times.
The small weather observation station could provide such information, theChinese military expert said. Grasping accurate weather information couldhelp seize good opportunities in the battles, Song added.
The Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China covered 3488-kmwhich includes Arunachal Pradesh, which is claimed by China as part ofsouthern Tibet.
Yumai, which is China’s smallest township in terms of population, has justnine households and 32 residents. It is located in the southern foothillsof the Himalayas and affected by the monsoon climate of the Indian Ocean.
Yumai is connected to the outside world with a road which has been underconstruction since 2017.
More weather stations are likely to come when the construction of the roadis complete, a Chinese official said.