02 July 2007
Record warm weather threatens Tibet's glaciers
(AP: Xinhua) Temperatures in Tibet have been up to 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit) above average so far in July, prompting warnings that the region's fast-disappearing glaciers face further threat, state media reported. The Tibetan capital Lhasa also recorded its highest July temperature in 30 years on 02 July when temperatures reached 29 degrees Celsius (84 degrees Fahrenheit), the official Xinhua News Agency reported. Tibet just experienced its third warm winter in seven years, with temperatures 9 degrees Celsius (16 F) above average in some areas, the report said. The spate of warm weather led to warnings that Tibet's glaciers - which have melted at an annual rate of 131 square kilometres over the past three decades - will be at even greater risk, Xinhua said.