An early warning weather system is of critical importance for every country as more people worldwide are being killed by severe natural disasters, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Over 7,000 natural disasters during the past 25 years have killed nearly 2 million people and caused economic losses of more than US$1 trillion globally, said Michel Jarraud, WMO's secretary general, on Monday.

Jarraud, who was attending WMO's Tenth Education and Training Forum in the eastern city of Nanjing, said an early warning system could help reduce the huge loss of lives and assets caused by frequently occurring severe natural disasters.

"An early warning system helped to significantly reduce the economic and human losses of this year's typhoons in China," said Qin Dahe, director of the China Meteorological Administration.

He added that China is often hit by natural disasters like floods, droughts, typhoons and landslides.

Lev Karlin, president of the Russian National Hydrological and Meteorological University, blamed many of the disasters on global warming. Karlin said the world average temperature has risen one degree Celsius over the past century.

"The strongest typhoon in 50 years and the long drought that hit China this summer are only a small part of the severe global disasters caused by global warming," said Karlin. "No country should underestimate the role of an early warning weather system."

The forum, which will last from Monday to Friday and is held every four years, attracts about 100 meteorologists, education experts and meteorological officials from countries including China, Canada, the United States and France.

(Xinhua News Agency September 19, 2006)