04 March 2006
Warmest winter ever in Tibet
(Xinhua) Meteorologists in Qinghai province and the TAR have reported the highest winter temperatures ever recorded. Some parts of the Tibetan Plateau reported temperatures that were 4 to 5 degrees Celsius above average between the beginning of December and the end of February, according to the China Meteorological Administration. The temperature spikes are remarkable when considered against the forecast that global temperatures might rise 1 to 5 degrees Celsius in the coming 100 years, according to the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. During the previous year, TAR's winter temperatures were the third-highest on record and Qinghai's the second-highest. The winter of 2001 ranked the second highest in the TAR and the winter of 2003 ranked the third highest in Qinghai.