It has been another warm winter and people in Beijing have again missed the fun of a cold winter.

Beijing Observatory reports that the temperature in Beijing averaged 0.1 centigrade in January, 3.8 centigrade higher than in previous years.

The observatory predicts that the temperature in February will be around four degrees centigrade higher than normal.

Many areas in north China, east China and northeast China have also reported warm winters this year.

Meteorologists from the Beijing Observatory say that the influences of a warm winter are many. It leads to the early melting of ice and the early blossoming of flowers, yet it also causes the formation of dust storms and the spread of influenza.

It calls for rescheduling many activities, such as spring afforestation and the seasonal selling of clothes.

Warm winters in China began in the 1980s. Beijing had 13 consecutive warm winters between 1986 and 1998. This winter however is especially warm, according to meteorologists with the Beijing Observatory.

(People's Daily February 26, 2002)