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Northwest China region sees rare warm and humid winter weather
[February 07, 2006]

Northwest China region sees rare warm and humid winter weather


(Comtex Environment Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)URUMQI, Feb 7, 2006 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- The northern part of Xinjiang Uygur
Autonomous Region in Northwest China was treated to a warm front
and recorded higher than average temperatures, the local
meteorological department said Tuesday.

The lowest temperature on Tuesday morning reached 1.2 degrees
Centigrade, 6 to 10 degrees higher than in the same period last
year.

The warm front and high air pressure also brought plentiful
rainfall to the northern part of the region. In the capital city
of Urumqi, 11 mm of rainfall was recorded on Monday evening, which
turned into snowflakes in the early hours of Tuesday due to
falling temperatures.

The rain forced the Urumqi International Airport to suspend
operation from 11 p.m. on Monday. A total of 14 arrivals were
delayed, eight of which landed at the nearby Dunhuang Airport of
Gansu Province, and about 1,500 passengers were held up at the
airport.

The severe weather also led to the closure of major highways
linking Urumqi and the northern cities and townships in the
autonomous region, including Tacheng, Yili, Bole and Kuitun.

The meteorological department has cautioned local governments
in northern Xinjiang against possible floods caused by melted snow
in the coming days and reminded them to be fully prepared.

Xinjiang has a typical continental climate with a dry, cold
wintertime. Its annual amount of precipitation is about 150 mm.

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