LUANDA, Jan. 31 (Xinhuanet) -- NASA, the US space agency, plans toestablish a weather research center in Cape Verde to study the impact of African monsoons on the world's climate, the archipelago's senior meteorologist said Tuesday.

    According to reports reaching here, Pimenta Lima, the head of the Meteorological and Geophysical Institute (IMGC), told media that NASA had a technical team in the islands to assess the best location or locations to set up its research installations.

    He said the NASA program would involve the installation of varied equipment, including radars, and of DC-8 aircraft equipped with state of the art meteorological technology.

    "Cape Verde will, thus, participate in a broad program, extensive to the whole African continent, that will study the African monsoon during one year," Lima said.

    He said the program would bring Cape Verde "some international projection in scientific terms" and "clear gains at the scientific level and in projection of (its) potential", as well as involve local resources and technicians. Enditem