BERLIN -- Weathermen -- and women -- in Germany,
                 at loggerheads over whether to give feminine or
                 masculine names to extreme meteorological phenomena,
                 have come up with a solution.

                 They have decided that for this year, low-pressure zones
                 should be identified by feminine names and
                 high-pressure zones by masculine ones, the German
                 Weather Service announced.

                 In a statement, the service explained that a private
                 weather firm had last year begun giving its own names to
                 high- and low-pressure formations, creating dispute and
                 confusion on the German weather scene.

                 The Free University of Berlin, which traditionally gave
                 out these names, was particularly displeased.

                 The German Weather Service said that it had, in its
                 capacity as the country's national service, mediated in
                 the dispute.

                 As a result, and in line with the demands of feminists, it
                 has been decided that the gender of the names used for
                 the two extremes should alternate each year.

                 This year has thus begun with the feminine low-pressure
                 zones "Afra" and "Beatrice", and no masculine
                 high-pressure zones so far.

                 But the situation that many meteorologists feared has not
                 quite been avoided.

                 Near the Hungarian border, there remains a
                 high-pressure formation left over from last year with the
                 name of "Rita" which refuses to dissipate. There is no
                 international agreement in this domain, the German
                 Weather Service explained.

                 For the World Meteorological Organisation, which
                 coordinates national data, the rule is to name only those
                 phenomena which pose a danger and threaten several
                 states.

                 Tropical storms such as cyclones of international interest
                 receive alternating masculine and feminine names. --
                 AFP

                       Adapted from The Straits Times, 8 Jan 2000.