CRI听力：La Nina Expected to Last until Early Summer

China has seen rare prolonged snowstorms and low temperatures in this January and February, the worst winter weather in 50 years in some areas. Meteorologists say that the adverse weather is related to the La Nina phenomenon and abnormal atmospheric conditions. They warn that the phenomenon is expected to last until early summer. CRI reporter Wu Peng has more.

Reporter:
La Nina is a large area of unusually cold water that develops in the equatorial Pacific every few years and affects global weather. It is the opposite of El Nino, an abnormal warming of surface ocean water in the Pacific.

Wang Yongguang is a meteorological expert at the China Climate Center.

"La Nina has more direct impact on tropical areas, and China is in non-tropical area, so the impact is indirect."

Wang Yongguang says the latest development of La Nina conditions have in part caused the rare prolonged snowstorms and low temperatures in southern China in January and February. The phenomenon is expected to last until early summer.

The expert also warns about droughts in the spring and summer.

"La Nina will cause less rain. And some places especially in northern China will suffer severe droughts more than in past years. The forest fire alarm level will remain high. Meanwhile, China will see more typhoons this year, so it is also very important to prevent typhoons and floods in southeast China."

The government's latest figures show that the recent spates of cold weather and snowstorms have claimed 129 lives. Four people remain missing and more than 1.6 million have been relocated.

The heavy snows have caused 480 thousand houses to collapse and more than 11 million hectares of cropland have been affected.

The freezing temperatures, icy rain and snow have also caused more than 150 billion yuan, or some 21 billion US dollars, in economic losses.