Nasa to study African storms
2006-02-01 12:34
Lisbon - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) plans to set up a weather research station in Cape Verde which will study the impact of African monsoons on the world's climate during one year, the Lusa news agency reported on Tuesday citing a local official.
A technical team from the United States space agency is in the West African archipelago to assess the best location to set up the station, the head of Cape Verde's Meteorological and Geophysical Institute, Pimenta Lima, told the agency.
It will involve the installation of radar and other state-of-the-art meteorological equipment and will employ local technicians, he added.
"Cape Verde is well positioned geographically to observe the passage of atmospheric systems from the African continent to the American continent," Lima said.
Cape Verde, a former Portuguese colony located some 600km off the coast of West Africa, lies near major north-south sea routes and is an important sea and air refuelling site.