New Delhi: If a 21ºC winter temperature is raising eyebrows in New York, Tibet too is experiencing a very unusual winter this year with day temperatures breaking all previous records in the last couple of days.
In fact, it's seems to be an early farewell for the winter this year and Tibetans are already gearing up for spring. Meteorologists in the remote Himalayan region too have predicted an early arrival of spring this year.
Chinese scientists have recently said that global warming is seriously affecting the fragile Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, causing the quick melting of glaciers in the Himalayan region. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is home to the source of many big rivers in Asia, such as the Yangtze, Yellow, Brahmaputra and Ganga, giving it the nickname — the 'water tower' of China.
Temperatures in the Qamdo region in eastern Tibet reached 21.8ºC on Friday, 1.7º C higher than the previous record for the same day set in 1996. Meteorological data began to be collected in the area in 1970.
In Dengqen County, also in eastern Tibet, the temperature hit 16.6ºC on Thursday, 2.5ºC higher than the previous record for the same day which was set in 2001.
"Lhasa, the regional capital, saw temperatures soar to 20.4ºC on Thursday, just a tenth of a degree from the record high set in 2001," Yu Zhongshui, a meteorologist was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.
With PTI inputs
Comments
0 comment