News and Views on Tibet

Record warm weather threatens Tibet’s shrinking glaciers, report says

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BEIJING – Temperatures in Tibet have been up to 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit) above average so far this month, 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 Monday when the mercury hit 29 degrees Celsius (84 degrees Fahrenheit), the official Xinhua News Agency reported late Wednesday.

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.

Temperatures were 3 to 5 degrees (5 to 9 F) higher in Xigaze Prefecture, Shannan Prefecture and areas around Lhasa during the first four days of July, the report said, citing He Xiaohong, a senior engineer with the region’s meteorological station.

The spate of warm weather led to warnings that Tibet’s glaciers _ which have melted at an annual rate of 131 square kilometers (51 square miles) over the past three decades _ will be at even greater risk, Xinhua said.

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