The El Nino phenomenon which recently emerged in the atmosphere and ocean of the Pacific tropics zone is very likely to bring an anomalous climate to Tibet next year, a local expert warned. Purbu Zhoima, a famous meteorologist from Tibet Autonomous Region Meteorological Bureau, said

the latest El Nino phenomenon, formed this October, is very likely to bring about large scale snowfalls in northern Tibet and the marginal areas in the south this winter and next spring.

The probability for a massive drought next summer, except in the south, will be 80 to 90 percent, he said.

Purbu said Tibet has already seen an obvious premonition of El Nino this autumn.

The precipitation in Tibet's major places are reported 40 percent to four times more than the same period last year, while the temperatures are one to two Celsius degrees lower.

Both the 102.5 mm precipitation in Changdu and the biggest ever snowfall in Cuona, accumulating as deep as 24 centimeters, show that El Nino is approaching Tibet, said the meteorologist.

Purbu said the El Nino phenomenon, occurring every four or five years, usually triggers disastrous climate.

There were four El Nino episodes during the 1990s, which causedthree massive snowfalls in 1994, late 1996 and early 1997 in Tibet, significantly harming the local economy.

Source: Xinhua