Officials are aiming to improve the early warning system for maritime disasters that might hit Shanghai, pledging to provide resident with 48 hours warning.

Deputy director of Shanghai Municipal Marine Bureau Fang Jianmeng made the remarks at a seminar titled "What Shanghai Should Do to Fight against Ocean disasters".

Shanghai plans to update its monitoring system including meteorological satellites, oceanic satellites, remote sensing planes in the sky, surface wave radars and big buoys along with other sensing facilities in the sea.

Fang said that by the end of 2010, the eastern metropolis would be able expand its ability to monitor ocean events from 200 to 600 kilometers off shore.

Situated not far from the Chinese coast, Shanghai is vulnerableto calamities that might be caused by typhoons and possible tsunami.

(Xinhua News Agency February 15, 2006)