China will launch 12 meteorological satellites before 2020 to boost the country's weather monitoring capabilities, an official said Saturday.

The satellites would be among 14 scheduled to be launched as part of a 10-year plan of the China Meteorological Administration, its director Zheng Guoguang told Xinhua.

"The launch of these satellites will dramatically boost China's weather monitoring capabilities, providing better services for a variety of industries," he said.

Zheng is a member of the national committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country's top political advisory body.

On Jan 13, China successfully launched the Fengyun-II 07 meteorological satellite from its Xichang satellite launch centre.

The Fengyun-II 07 - the 13th such satellite launched by China since 1988 - would be used for monitoring emergency natural disasters, Zheng said.

Source: Indo-Asia News Service