Typhoons, floods and droughts have claimed 2,704 lives and inflicted economic losses of 212 billion yuan this year, a meteorological official reported on Thursday.

"The losses China suffered this year were second only to those inflicted in 1998 when an extremely severe flood ravaged the country," said Qin Dahe, director of the China Meteorological Administration.

This year, seven typhoons and seven strong tropical storms have hit the Chinese mainland, including Typhoon Saomai, the strongest typhoon to hit China since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, that claimed at least 460 lives.

The administration said both the intensity of the disaster weather and the damages caused were "rare" in the country's history.

This spring saw 18 sandstorms in northern China, a record high since 2000 while in summer, the worst drought in a century ravaged Chongqing Municipality of northwestern China, leaving more than 17 million people with drinking water shortages. Sichuan Province was also stricken by its most severe drought since 1951.

Northern China experienced its worst acid rain in 14 years this summer. In August, 80 percent of the rainy days in Beijing were "acid rain days".

Since December, most parts of central and eastern China have been cloaked in thick fog which has triggered frequent road accidents and postponed flights.

Climate Centre Director Dong Wenjie predicted that the weather situation for 2007 could be worse than the average. Frequent adverse weather including typhoons, flood, storms, drought, heat wave and acid rains were possible, he said.

Qin Dahe urged meteorological departments at various levels to keep high alert against bad weather and provide timely forecasts to minimize damages. Meoteorological services must be improved to facilitate government reactions in case of emergencies, he said.