Pyongyang, March 23 (KCNA) -- March 23 is World Meteorological Day.

Now, when cooperation among countries is getting closer with the rapid development of science and technology, signal progress has been made in the worldwide meteorological observation and forecast.

The meteorological sector of the DPRK is making successes in the work to put the meteorological observation and forecast on a modern and scientific basis of higher level.

The National Meteorological Forecast Squad confirmed the rational indices of forecasting system on the basis of the analysis of rainfall in recent years and steadily improved the scientification level of the short-term weather forecast model, thus further raising the exactness of short- and medium-term forecasts.

It has also paid attention to bettering the long-term agricultural weather forecast system to perfect in a scientific way the methods of forecasting drought expected in spring and heavy rainfall expected in autumn and of forecasting weather data such as temperature, precipitation and percentage of sunshine.

The meteorological observation sector is pushing ahead with the work to expand and introduce to the whole country the county-level early warning system for downpour and flooding that was already applied on a trial basis to Songchon County of South Phyongan Province.

It also directs steady efforts to putting the nationwide ground meteorological observation on a higher level and developing and introducing advanced observation devices and means.

The DPRK, which joined the World Meteorological Organization in May 1975, has striven to further improve the weather forecast and boost international cooperation in this field. -0-