A minor tropical storm could heap further catastrophe on earthquake-ravaged Haiti, weather experts have warned.
With thousands living in tents and makeshift shelters following January's devastating quake, meteorologists fear the effect of a storm would be magnified.
The urgent priority for experts at this week's international hurricane conference at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess was to rebuild Haiti's capacity to predict storms.
Haiti's meteorological office has been out of service since the quake and its staff have been operating without proper equipment in a room at the Civil Aviation Authority in the capital Port au Prince.
Ronald Semelfort, director of Haiti's meteorological service, told the Bermuda Sun the country needed help to improve surveillance and communication in case of a storm.
With 80 per cent of the population without access to television or radio, communicating forecasts to the public is a concern.
Haiti, like the rest of the Caribbean, is always vulnerable to hurricanes during storm season. But Mr. Semelfort said it was now particularly important to get early warning of approaching storm systems.
He added it would take just 10mm of rainfall to seriously damage many of the temporary shelters that currently house hundreds of thousands of people.
Mr. Semelfort said: "There are a good many people living in dangerous shelters, in tents - these people are out in the open. They are extremely vulnerable to wind and rain."
Devastating
Jean Noel Degrace, of Meteo France based in Martinique, headed up a task force on Haiti at this week's conference.
He said a hurricane this year would be devastating for the country.
Mr. Degrace added: "Two weeks ago there was flooding from a cold front.
"It was a very low amount of rain but 18 or 20 more people were killed. You can only imagine what a hurricane would do."
He said the immediate priority of the task force is to provide Haiti with the technology and expertise it needs to predict storms, adding: "It is really urgent to ensure Haiti gets really good watches and warnings (of storm activity)."
Jamaica and Cuba will be asked to provide radar images, while other countries have offered to provide storm tracking and communications equipment as well as personnel.
Mr. Degrace said: "We have to make sure Haiti has the capacity to have an operational met office.
"We would like to be sure they are able to access data on observations and forecasts, radar imagery, charts, watches and warnings."
Mr. Degrace said Meteo France will take a leading role in meteorological support to Haiti and will provide briefings.
The deliberations on Haiti were part of a weeklong conference of the Regional Association IV Hurricane Committee, which brings hurricane experts from across the Americas together.
Marc Guishard, Bermuda's weather service director, said: "It gives us a chance to interact with people that may have learned lessons we haven't yet.
"It is very important we participate given that we are not next to any other nation that can look after us. We are out on our own.
"Having the support of the National Hurricane Centre (Florida) and being able to learn from other island nations and pass on our experiences to them is part of the collaborative process. Regardless of diplomatic or political differences, we all work together on this."
