(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-09-09 15:46

LHASA - Tibet saw its average temperature in most parts of the plateau region one to two degrees Celsius higher than normal years in the past two months, a local meteorological expert said on Saturday.

Affected by global warming and El Nino phenomenon, Tibet had experienced its third warm winter in 25 years between December 2006 and February 2007, said Jiala, deputy head of the Meteorological Station of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Statistics show that Tibet reported an average temperature of minus three degrees Celsius between December and February, up 1.4 degrees from the historical average of minus 4.4 degrees Celsius, and some areas even reported a temperature rise of nine degrees.

"The abnormal weather has led to higher incidence of extreme weather in the flood season," Jiala said.

Tibet had witnessed hailstones, flash floods, landslides and mud-rock flows triggered by continuous rains since July, which affected people's lives, agricultural production and transportation.

Statistics show that during the flood season this year in Tibet, natural disasters affected a population of 38,000, damaged 3,205 hectares of cropland, destroyed 1,148 houses and killed 8,040 head of livestock, causing more than 30 million yuan (4 million U.S. dollars) in economic losses.

Tibet, with its glaciers and high altitude, has been regarded as a sensitive region to the effects of global warming, and the plateau region has seen its glaciers melt at an annual average rate of 131.4 square kilometers over the past three decades.

The average annual temperature in Tibet is rising at a speed of 0.3 degree Celsius every 10 years, higher than the growth rate of the country and world, according to a latest research "Tibet's Climate under the Global Warming Trend" conducted by the the Tibet Regional Meteorological Bureau.