calendar>>March 29. 2012 Juch 101

Winter, Spring Temperatures Likely to Affect Farming

Pyongyang, March 29 (KCNA) -- Cold anticyclone had lasted long unusually on the Eurasian Continent this winter. The phenomenon has resulted in making the water temperature in the western Pacific lower, while in the eastern equator higher. It has persisted in spring season, too, giving rise to serious concern over possible El Nino phenomenon and adverse effect on agriculture.

Kim Mun Uk, a section chief of the Hydro-meteorological Service, made the remark when he was interviewed by KCNA.

He said:

"Cold continental anticyclone had a momentum unusually, which made inflow of cold, dry air towards the Korean Peninsula from the central Siberia region. The inflow lowered the average winter temperature as well as the precipitation in the country.

In this winter the average temperature was at 7.4 degrees C below zero, 1.3 degrees C lower than the average or 0.5 degree C lower than last year's.

The coldest temperature was observed in February a month later than the previous year.

The precipitation was 16.9 mm, less than half of the average, which marked the lowest in the period since the Dec. 1995-Feb. 1996 period.

Such abnormal weather has continued as of March and is likely to run in the spring season, too.

The deep-frozen earth and low temperature will evidently give adverse effect on plowing and sowing.

And, the low precipitation will be followed by drought."