Chinese experts believe China is gradually becoming warmer and some regions will have more rainfall in the 21st century, Xinhua News Agency reports.

 

Chinese meteorologists warn that thanks to global warming, China has seen its temperature near the earth's surface increase 0.22 Celsius degrees every decade in the last 50 years. This is above the average level of the globe and northern hemisphere.

 

According to the China Meteorological Administration, compared with average temperatures from 1961 to 1990, China's temperature will rise about 1.3 to 2.1 degrees Celsius by 2020, 1.5 to 2.8 degrees Celsius by 2030, 2.3 to 3.3 degrees Celsius by 2050 and 3.9 to 6.0 degrees by 2100.

 

The temperature will rise dramatically in particular in China's northern, northwestern and northeastern regions by about 0.6 to 2.1 degrees by 2020.

 

Meanwhile, China will see more rainfall throughout the country. Experts say average rainfall will increase about 2 to 3 percent by 2020, 5 to 7 percent by 2050 and 11 to 17 percent by 2100.

 

The number of days of rainfalls will increase particularly in Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia. The same thing will also happen in southeastern Fujian and western Jiangxi and some regions of Guizhou, Sichuan and Yunnan.

 

Sea levels will rise by 12 to 59 centimeters by 2050. The offing near deltas of the Pearl, Yangtze and Yellow Rivers will see a rise of 9 to 107 centimeters.

 

In the following 100 years, extreme weather and climate disasters will happen frequently. More regions will suffer from drought and desertification. Glaciers on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau and the Tianshan Mountain will withdraw quickly and some small glaciers will disappear. By 2050, the glaciers in northwestern region will be reduced by 27 percent.

 

The warming will aggravate the highest and lowest temperatures in China. The coldest period in winter will shorten, while the hottest period in summer will extend. Extremely high temperatures, heat waves and droughts will occur more frequently.

 

The report says in four to six years, consecutive droughts will increase in the drainage area of the Yangtze River in a larger extension for a longer time.

 

(Xinhua News Agency February 26, 2007)