Harbin - China's Coldest Big City - Hits Highest Annual Temperature On Record - Xinhua

HARBIN, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Harbin is feeling the effects of global warming first-hand as last year the northernmost major city in China recorded its highest annual average temperature, meteorologists said on Friday.

The average annual temperature in the capital of the northeastern Heilongjiang Province, dubbed the "city of ice" and famed for its annual ice sculpture festival, was 6.6 degrees Celsius in 2007. It was the highest since meteorological records began in 1881, the Heilongjiang Meteorological Observatory said.

The previous record was 6.1 degrees in 1998.

The average temperatures in January, February and June were also the highest in history. They were minus 11.5 degrees, minus seven degrees and 23.7 degrees, respectively.

EDIT

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-01/04/content_7363835.htm

and nobody in that region doubts global warming. Helong-Jiang Province has one of the biggest jumps in temperature of any place on the planet. It is a couple hours South of Siberia, and used to regularly get down to -20^o. But no more.

"Cold" doesn't even come close, and I'm from the Midwest.

Brrrr!!!